Power Over Me
by msjuliett
Summary: 9 years later and Jareth can't move on from Sarah.  But what would he do if he thought that Sarah had moved on and got a family of her own, one that didn't include him? Take her child to lure her back of course. Warning J/S relationship not a happy one
1. Chapter 1

Hey this is my first attempt at a fanfiction. hopefully you like it, if you do please review. Next chapter should follow soon, I'll try to make it a bit longer too.

Chapter 1

"You have no power over me." Even after 9 years that line was never far from the King of the Goblins thoughts. He offered Sarah her dreams on a platter and all she wanted was that brat of a half-brother, not that the child wasn't charming, Jareth had rather taken to the dark eyed boy.

Other runners had entered his labyrinth but none had captivated him like Sarah. Her defiance was somehow intoxicating, even though she obviously feared him she didn't bend her will to his and he was back to his old routine having now realised that something was missing that it had always been missing but Sarahs' thirteen hours in the labyrinth had broke the pattern of a thousand years or more.

On a whim Jareth summoned a crystal to look at the girl who he had once been infatuated with for the first time since that fateful day. The beauty that her early years had promised were realized in the 24 year old actress. She slept with her pale face against a red satin pillow the same colour as her lips, her hair a dark halo around her head and the thin covers alluding to her very alluring curves.

Jareth found himself staring at the pale figure, no longer a girl, and the sight made him long for just one more meeting with her, even if all she said to him were those awful words again. He rose from his Gothic throne and moved towards the window to take flight.

He flew straight through the open window and transformed back into his fae form moving silently to avoid waking the still sleeping Sarah. Taking a deep breath in Jareth savoured the perfume of the slumbering woman, to him it smelt like sweet spices and peaches. It effected him more than he would have cared to admit.

"To be so close to you, precious and yet still so far." He muttered under his breath.

At the sound of his voice Sarah stirred and she said one word that would haunt the Goblin King even more than the hated phrase of, "You have no power over me." and she said it so naturally, almost joyfully a smile creeping onto her face.

"Jareth?"

He recovered from the shock just in time to disappear as her eyes opened and the disappointment on her face as they met only empty air.


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you Apple Slushie aka LJane for being my first reviewer, heres the next chapter, it's a bit longer and hopefully ok. As always feedback is nice.

Oh and I forgot on the first chapter but I don't own the Labyrinth or the characters.

Enjoy hopefully another chapter will appear very soon.

Chapter 2

Sarah awoke to the sound of his voice, the voice of the Goblin King or so she thought, as always when she opened her eyes he wasn't there. She pulled herself out of bed and moved over to a darkened corner of the room to look down at the face of her son still sound asleep in his crib.

* * *

Jareth re-materialized in his throne room, a smirk playing on his lips. "So she hasn't forgotten about me." He pulled a crystal out of the air and once again saw Sarah. She had her back to him bending over something, not that he minded the view but he would rather see her face so he concentrated and the view shifted.

She was leaning over a crib, why would she be near a baby? Toby was far too old to sleep in a cot. He concentrated harder and could hear what she was saying to the child.

"And how is my little Jay today? Ready to spend the day with Mommy?" There was a fond smile playing on her lips.

Jareth could feel the rage building within him. Sarah had a son, a child that wasn't his, that was a trespass that he found unforgivable, one that Sarah would be severely punished for.

He grabbed the first goblin that strayed too near to his now enraged person and lifted him up to just below eye level to give instructions, "Get me those three traitors," at the goblins witless look he clarified, "the ones **that girl** turned against me." He snarled, drop kicking the goblin to the far side of the room where he hit the wall just beside the door.

A small titter ran through the rest of the goblins but they knew their Kings new moods far too well. Jareth had changed in the nine years since the girl had won Toby back, he never sang or danced any more and he certainly never laughed. The goblin that the King had kicked quickly shook himself off and ran out the door before the King could complain that he was taking too long.

Jareth sprawled out over his throne quietly seething and imaging the tortures he was going to put Sarah through. The other goblins in the throne room recognized the dark mood the King was in and saw the black clouds that sprang from no where outside the window, and rolled outwards, covering the skies above the labyrinth, they quietly abandoned the throne room, Jareth didn't even notice.

* * *

Sarah left her New York apartment with her son well protected from the winter chill in his pram and walked him to central park. It wasn't the magical park of her home town but it was close enough to feel connected to the imaginative child she'd been when she ran the labyrinth, instead of the well organised, busy actress and mother.

She still thought back to those days before her time in the underground with embarrassment at the way she'd treated Karen and Toby even the way she'd treated her Father. She looked down at the six month old child in the pram, with his dark curls and ocean blue eyes, know that she could never wish him away.

From the first time she'd laid eyes on him Sarah was entranced, he was the angel that had lifted her out of the private depression that she'd felt since she'd left home to pursue her career. Sarah had triumphed in every role she'd attempted, on Broadway, on TV, even the few film roles she that she had accepted had won her accolades, awards and public recognition, but her personal life had been empty. No man could ever match up to her ideal and he had never returned.

As always the snickering she heard from the bushes disturbed her quiet reverie and she quickly moved on away from what was either a constant goblin escort or a serious psychological problem, She found herself wishing she could talk to Hoggle, Didymus and Ludo, not that she expected many answers from the orange beast , but that connection only seemed to work in her old room in the Victorian house, her family home.

Gathering her coat around her to ward off the sudden chills she felt Sarah slowly turned the pram around and walked back towards her apartment, Jay would need his lunch soon.

* * *

Jareth looked at two of his least favourite subjects. The dwarf, Hoggle, and the one eyed Knight, Sir Didymus. Ludo hadn't understood the summons and was still wandering around in the forrest, a squad of goblin soldiers had been sent to escourt him to the castle.

"So Hogwart," The Goblin King began, putting on his most imposing sneer and raising on of his already beautifully upswept eyebrows.

"Its Hoggle!" the little man corrected, already angry at being in the kings presence.

"When was the last time you spoke to **that girl**?" Jareth continued as if the interruption hadn't occurred.

"A year or so ago, when she visited her family and the boy, Your Majesty." He answered truthfully, not wishing to see the inside of the king dungeon again.

"And did she have any big news for you then?"

"No Sire," Sir Didimus chimed in, "My Lady only discussed the usual information, about her work, how her family was, how big the young master Toby was getting. A trip to see a relative of her mothers later that month."

"She never mentioned anything about a family of **her own**?" The King demanded his mismatched gaze boring into Sarah's closest friends.

"No she ain't never mentioned nothing like that." Hoggle lied, covering a secret that Sarah had revealed during a conversion years ago, knowing that, as a knight of the old code, Didymus would have to answer with the truth.

"Then you have never seen her son? A child of six months old with his mothers dark hair?" He continued not trusting the dwarf's answer when he saw the fox's whiskers twitch.

The blank and disbelieving look on their faces was enough to convince him though. Hoggle looked the most shocked, Jareth could see the little scabs brain working in over drive to try and figure out how it was possible that Sarah hadn't told him.

"Then you both are free to go, but if I find that you have been lying to me I will be cruel." He didn't even wait for them to leave he swept out of the door and up the stairs that led to what remained of the room Sarah had destroyed on her last visit to his castle.

* * *

Hoggle and Didymus spent a moment in silence getting over their shock before rushing out of the throne room, knowing they had to get to a mirror and fast. They had to warn Sarah, she and the Child were in danger.


	3. Chapter 3

OK here is the third instalment. I tried to move the story on a bit faster in this one. As always I hope you enjoy please read and review.

PS I don't own the labyrinth (such a pity)

Chapter 3

It was unusual for little Jay to wake up so early from his nap, especially with tears, so when he began bawling his eyes out at three that afternoon, in the middle of his nap, she almost ran to the side of his cot to soothe him. In her arms he automatically quietened but there was still fear in his large blue eyes, his hands reached up to hold her dark tresses . She wiped away his tears and sang to him quietly until he closed his eyes and nodded off again. Then she heard the whispering and the quiet laughter of the goblins.

"You know I can hear you and you broke the arrangement." She began when Jay was settled back beneath his covers. "I let you follow me as long as you don't bother me and in return you can come to the parties I hold every year at home. You wake Jay up again with your tricks and you won't be invited." She threatened, Sarah wasn't sure whether the Goblins had ever understood the agreement that she'd decreed at the age of 16 after they had trashed her room for the umpteenth time but for the most part they'd stuck to it.

"Wasn't us, little lady, we promise." A small voice ventured for the first time.

"We protect little lady, little ladies things." another voice announce and Sarah heard the others murmuring in agreement

"Then why was Jay crying?"

"Kingy flew in the window, woke little man up." The first small voice whispered before the small band of Goblins scuttled off.

* * *

The Goblin King was satisfied with his trip above, he had taken a good look at the child, **Her** child, soon to be in his possession. He was pleasantly surprised when he had taken the boy into his arms for those brief moments before he'd started to cry. Jareth had felt the undeniable power of a past wish hanging over the child, a wish that should have called the goblins to take him. The girls magic must have protected it from him somehow, because it wasn't her wish, she wouldn't be that stupid.

He would have to wait until the child was no longer in her immediate presence, till he was no longer protected and her concentration would falter sooner or later. Then he would take her "little Jay", he would have the beginnings of his revenge.

Jareth found himself smiling at that thought. If he took the child Sarah would come back to the Underground to find him, she would agree to run his Labyrinth, much improved since her last run, and this time she would lose and he would send her back, without his previous offers or affections and without her son.

"Such a pity." He thought, laughing to himself.

* * *

Toby hated that Sarah lived so far away, he missed her and her stories. She'd always told him the best stories, the ones she told of the underground and the goblins were his favourites. She would tell Toby about the friends she'd made there and said she talked to through her mirror. He still went into her old room, a room unchanged by time, everyday when he got home from school just to feel closer to her. He would stare into her mirror even though her friends wouldn't appear for him. Except for that day.

Hoggle and Sir Didymus had been waiting in the mirror for hours, waiting for anyone to enter the room so they could pass on their warning. Soon they knew it would be too late and Jareth would have set whatever nefarious plans he had made in motion but still the faithful friends waited silently, fear and anxiousness making conversation between them impossible. It was another two hours before the boy entered the room.

"Young Master Toby." Sir Didymus called to the boy as he enter his sisters room.

"You're him, you're Sir Didymus, and you must be Hoggle. You're just as Sarah described." The boy was grinning as he ran over to the mirror placing a hand on the glass.

"Sir Toby, you must contact the Lady Sarah, your sister, urgently. She is in terrible danger." The fox continued

"Why would Sarah be in danger? She's always careful, she never gets in trouble"

"She's in trouble 'cause that rat Jareth has lost 'is head over her again." Hoggle angrily chimed in.

Toby just looked confused

"The King has seen that she now has a child and has grown angry. Please there is no time for further explanations. You must send word to my Lady Sarah, immediately. Tell her that the news comes from us."

"Tell her not to let the babe out of sight." Hoggle added

Not quite understanding Toby ran to ask his mother if he could call Sarah.

* * *

It was a little after six that evening when the telephone rang, Sarah hadn't left Jays bedside for most of that afternoon. When the Goblins had disappeared she'd been too shocked to move, then her mind kicked to some higher gear. On auto pilot she had gone to her wardrobe and changed out of the fashionable slacks and fitted T-shirt that she'd been wearing.

From the dark recesses of the large closet she pulled out a white linen poet shirt and a silver coloured brocade waistcoat along with a pair of jeans. Moving to her vanity she took an amber broach out of its box and pinned it to her chest before pulling on a pair of flat boots. Then she moved a chair to the side of Jays crib and sat staring at his face, too absorbed in trying to figure out why Jareth would choose now to appear, to do anything else but sit by the boy she called her own. Jareth had stayed away for nine years, he'd shown his indifference for nine years, why reappear now?

The phone roused her from the circles her thoughts were flowing in and she had to run to get the phone before the answering machine picked it up.

"Sarah, it's Toby." His voice on the other end of the line jumped in before she could say anything, he sounded a bit afraid.

"Hey Tobes. Now isn't really a good time buddy." She tried to keep an eye on the cot through the bedroom door.

"But it's important, Hoggle and Sir Didymus, they were in your mirror, they said you were in danger." He rattled it off so fast Sarah could barely understand him.

"Toby slow down, what was that about Hoggle?" She turned away from the door and pressed the phone closer to her ear.

"They were in your mirror, they said Jareth knows about Jay and that he's angry. That he's gonna do something bad."

"What?" Sarah was still trying to keep up.

"They say not to let Jay out of your sight. Sarah what's going on? Why would the goblin King want..."

The line went dead and the lights went out. Sarah dropped the phone on to the floor not bothering to put it back in its cradle. In a panic she ran to the bedroom both knowing and fearing what she would find.

The crib was empty.

A sob escaped her lips hastily smothered by the hand she brought to her mouth.

"We meet again," The Goblin King announced from the shadows behind her, "Precious!" he spat.

"Why do this Jareth?" She she asked dropping the hand from her mouth but not turning around, she didn't have the yet have the courage to turn and face him.

"The Child was wished away by someone and I always collect what I'm owed, even if it takes time to find the child. You have 13 hours in which to solve the Labyrinth and when you fail your son becomes mine forever."

Sarah could hear the anger in his voice. She finally turned to face the man who had haunted her dreams and nightmares for so long. He hadn't changed. He wore the same armour with the stiff leather collar just as he had all those years ago. His white blond hair still stuck out in all directions, his face was still painfully beautiful, his pants were still dangerously tight and his eyes, his mismatched eyes were still compelling.

"What no offering me my dreams this time?" she kept her voice light playful but her green eyes flashed with inner fire.

"You gave yourself to someone other than me. You had a **child** by someone other than me. You don't deserve your dreams." He lifted one hand, a crystal appeared balanced on his fingertips.

"Wait," Sarah began, understanding dawning in her mind, "please you don't understand about Jay, he's..." But Jareth didn't wait, and before she finished, in one smooth movement he smashed the crystal onto the plush carpet of the bedroom floor.


	4. Chapter 4

Hey readers it's me again.

I know you'll hate me for the cliff hanger but don't worry the next installment will be up ASAP I just have to transfer it from my mind to the computer.

Sorry also for the shortness of this chapter, it just seemed like the natural place to leave the story.

Enjoy and feel free to review if you like it or even if you don't.

Chapter 4

It wasn't such an easy transition to the underground this time round and Sarah was pretty sure that Jareth had had a hand in making it so bad. She arrived on the hill overlooking the labyrinth feeling sick to her stomach and felt so embarrassed when a few moments later she emptied its contents in the patch of wild flowers that grew on the hill. When she looked around she found that Jareth had not appeared with her, she felt grateful that he hadn't witnessed her moment of illness. He had however left the clock already counting down the hours in place.

Sarah found herself silently fuming at the Goblin King for making her go through this again, for not listening to her, for abandoning her to a mundane existence for nine years.

"Come on feet." She whispered as she walked towards where she had first met Hoggle, to the entrance of the Labyrinth.

* * *

Jareth sat lounging on his throne, prodigiously pleased with himself. He had the child, he had Sarah right where he wanted her and his goblin court had decided to be absent for the day so he could follow his favourite runners progress privately. He settled the child on his knees and looked in to his large eyes.

"In 12 hours and 50 minutes you'll be mine." He whispered softly.

* * *

Toby had panicked when the line went dead, slamming the phone down and running back upstairs to Sarah's room, ignoring his mothers questions about the short phone call. He had to tell Hoggle and Sir Didimus.

The were waiting in the mirror where he entered the room. He rushed over, using the chair under the desk to steady himself.

"I think... I think... somethings happened... the line went dead." he managed to out in between pants, "I don't understand... why would... the Goblin King... want Jay?"

Hoggle was the first to answer looking slightly guilty. "He don't want the Babe. He wants Sarah to suffer 'cause it ain't his." his gruff voice trailed off

Sir Didymus carried on for his friend, "Young Toby did Lady Sarah ever tell you of the Quest that took her through the Labyrinth?"

"That she wished me away and the Goblin King made her fight to get me back?" Sarah had told him the story many years ago, trying to explain why he always had to be careful about what he said.

"Aye, that Quest. Perhaps, Young Master Toby, you should read the beginning of the red book she keeps in the drawer." The fox pointed through the glass to the drawer in question.

Toby looked at the small red leather book in his hands cautiously not knowing the power it might hold. "Once upon a time there was a beautiful young girl whose stepmother always made her stay home with the baby," he read aloud, "and the baby was a spoiled child who wanted everything for himself, and the young woman was practically a slave. But what no one knew was the King of the Goblins had fallen in love with the girl, and he had given her certain powers."

"The fae ain't a forgiving race and your sister broke his heart when she chose you over 'im. Finding that she could move on and have a child that weren't 'is while he's still longin' fer 'er, made him angry." Hoggle tried to explain to the ten year old child.

"But it isn't like that. Sarah never has boyfriends. She said her heart got broken a long time ago, that she would never..." Toby's voice trailed off he was unable to put the rest of the sentence into words

"I'm afraid, young Toby, that our King will not understand. It is enough that she had another mans' babe." Sir Didymus reiterated

"But little Jay isn't..."

* * *

Walking up to the walls of the labyrinth almost felt like coming home for Sarah. She'd felt like an outsider in her own world for so long being in a realm of misfits felt good. The door to the Labyrinth wasn't hidden from her this time, although she would have welcomed the presence of Hoggle to guide her. She knew to expect no help on this trip though, Jareth would not allow it, he wouldn't underestimate her, he wanted to see her fail, hopefully she could once again prove him wrong.

The fairy swarm by the gates seemed to have grown in nine years. The tiny, beautiful and spiteful creatures seemed interested by Sarahs presence. They flew in lazy circles, about her as she walked to the labyrinths gate, trailing glitter over her. She stood before the doorway and as the doors swung outward a mist flowed out, scattering the fairies that had gathered. Sarah didn't notice their absence, she entered the labyrinth for the second time with her mind in more turmoil than the first.

* * *

Hoggle and Sir Didymus felt the magic that maintained the Labyrinth ripple and the ground beneath their feet shiver filling the two friends with dread. They knew what that meant, Sarah had entered the Labyrinth, their warnings had come too late, Jareth had taken the child. They quickly took their leave of Toby, vanishing from the mirror, after promising to try and help his sister.

* * *

Jareth could tell why Sarah would be so protective of the little boy he now held in his arms. The child was trusting, even more so than Toby had been, and his eyes held the same innocence that Sarah's did. The wild eyed dreamer look that had captivated the Goblin King as he had flown over a certain park, the park where a teenaged Sarah had rehearsed the lines from her fantasies. A renaissance gown covering her young form and a circlet of flowers adorning her hair, he had returned day after day to watch the mortal girl declare her love and passions to unseen heroes. He had felt a pang of jealousy watching her. Those declarations would be made to him one day he vowed. He arranged for Sarah to receive a copy of the book, the book that would give her the power to call out to him.

The Child in his arms had the same captivating eyes, Jareth couldn't blame Sarah for wanting to keep such an angelic and precious child once she had him but she would live to regret giving herself to another.

"Give me the child." A defiant voice rang out through the throne room echoing around the bare stone walls.


	5. Chapter 5

I'm not sure what to say about this chapter, I thought I could resolve issues between Jareth and Sarah, maybe I just raised more.

Chapter 5

"Give me the child." A defiant voice rang out through the throne room echoing around the bare stone walls.

Jareths head snapped up. "Impossible." He breathed as Sarah strode into his throne room.

He hadn't noticed her attire before in the darkness of her bedroom, some sick twist of fate had made her wear the exact outfit she had worn nine years ago. He had to admit she looked much better in it this time around, but silently cursed himself for the weakness that made him think that.

"It isn't possible, you can not have traversed the Labyrinth so quickly!"

"You think I didn't see this day as a possibility? You think I wouldn't plan for when you would drag me back to the Labyrinth?" Sarah continued towards the throne that Jareth was now sitting straight in, little Jay held tightly in his lap.

"How?" The short question was all he could manage.

"The clue was in the story all along. 'Say your right words, The goblins said' or at least that is what the Book instructed. So I asked the right question of a little blue worm."

* * *

She had walked the outer corridor of the Labyrinth for at least 5 minutes until she heard the voice of the worm. His hair was no longer an electric blue, it was now streaked with grey.

"'Ello Lady Sarah, I see you solved the labyrinth."

"Thank you for your help last time." She bent down to the little worms eye line. "How's the missus?"

"She's good. Would you like to come inside and 'ave a cup of tea and meet her?"

"No sorry. I have to get to the castle."

"Not solve the labyrinth again?"

"Not this time. Do you know how to get to the castle beyond the goblin city?" Of course the worm wouldn't know how to get through the maze but he would know the short cuts that all the denizens of the Labyrinth would use.

"Turn left not right. That way will take you straight to the castle." The worm was beaming.

"Thank you again. One day I'll come in for that cup of tea." Sarah promised before continuing on her journey.

* * *

"Turns out that the Castle beyond the Goblin City isn't that far away when you know the right path to take."

Sarah could see the anger on Jareths face as she grew closer to the throne. His scowl was pronounced.

"Do I have to start in with the tired old lines, or are you actually going to talk to me?" She demanded after the Goblin Kings silence went on too long. "Fine then, 'Through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered I fought my way back here'..."

"Sarah! Stop this, just say your pathetic curse and get out of my sight." He commanded and Jay disappeared from his arms in a puff of glitter.

"Like I'm going to let you get off that easy. I waited for nine years to have this talk with you."

Jareth couldn't help but stare at the enraged woman, she looked magnificent when she was pissed off, he would enjoy angering her, "Where would you like to start?" He rested his black gloved fingertips together.

"Well I would like to finish at the misconceptions you have about the child, about where he comes from, but lets start at the beginning. 'What no one knew', why I ended up in the Labyrinth the first time."

"You wished away your brother. It is my duty to take the unwanted children of your realm. You were silly enough to offer him to me." He kept his face perfectly controlled

"Jareth I was 15, a child, didn't you ever do something witless when you were that age. Oh wait I forgot, you're the goblin king, a vain fae bastard who delights in toying with the emotions of innocent little girls and obvious never does anything stupid."

"I toyed with your emotions?" The mask of indifference slipped slightly at the insults.

"It took me three years to figure out the meaning of 'fear me, love me, do as I say and I will be your slave.' and realizing that I've never had a stable relationship with any male other than my kid brother, after meeting you, took a lot longer."

"You must of know how I felt about you." incredulity tainted his voice

"Not at the time. You don't really make the best first impression. All I knew is that you made me choose between my brother or you, which in my head was no choice at all. Especially as I thought it was all some trick. It broke my heart a year or so later when I realized even if you had been serious I would have made the same choice." her voice had climbed to shouting volume and then back down to plead with him. "I need to know, for my peace of mind if nothing else, what ever happened after you said those words. Did you love me at any point, or was it all a trick?"

Jareth could see the tears in her eyes and had to go through Sarahs list of transgressions in his mind to keep his rage from fading. He found it hard to speak, clearing his throat before replying, "I was intrigued, before you wished Toby away, by the power of your belief. You were one in a billion in the modern aboveground, where magic is fading." He managed to sound aloof and uncaring. "Then your stubbornness attracted me further, you were so determined, you dared to defy me even persuading others to do so too. I had to posses you, I had to keep you." He snarled but quickly calmed himself. "I realize now to tame you would have broken what attracted me to your soul. Even then you took my breath away, even so young you were beautiful ."

"But was I more than a passing obsession to you, the immortal king?"

"Yes, you are the obsession of my life." He didn't look pleased at that thought. He stood and closed the distance between them reaching up to place a gloved hand around Sarahs neck, his body mere inches away from hers. "I loved you." It cost nothing to admit after all this time not when he had all the power.

Sarah felt her pulse racing, she was sure that Jareth would feel that through the soft leather of his glove. Strangely, though she didn't feel scared of Jareth, he wanted lasting revenge not to hurt her, this wasn't the way she had envisaged the conversation going. "So are you going to kill me or are you going to kiss me," She looked up at his face, straight into his mismatched eyes. "I'm pretty sure a certain part of your anatomy is saying kiss me right now." she whispered.

He could feel her pulse racing through the leather of his glove, but he saw no fear in her eyes, green eyes that he was drowning in.

He wasn't sure when he brought his mouth down to cover hers. Her lips tasted of peaches. The taste drove him insane, he brutally pulled her body the short distance into his with his free hand, now angry that Sarah had denied him this for so long.

Sarah couldn't stop herself from throwing her arms around the infuriating King and parting her lips for him. The scent of cinnamon and musk fill her head, driving her onward.

Eventually it was Sarah who had to come up for air, having to stop Jareth from continuing by using every ounce of her strength and willpower to push him away. She staggered backwards her knees week and her lips swollen but smiling.

"OK that was nice." Was all she could say before she fainted. Jareth was quick enough to catch her before she collapsed on the floor.

"Well I always wanted you in my arms Sarah." He said trying to form coherent thoughts. The kiss had scrambled more than a few of his brain cells. Half were raging at him for kissing his enemy the other half raging that he shouldn't have stopped.

He picked the dazed woman up and transported them to an empty bedchamber, his bedchamber. He placed Sarah on his bed and smoothed the hair out of her face, unsure of what to do with her now.

A knock on the door was a welcome interruption. "Come in."

A small Goblin entered, he never knew how his subjects knew where to find him, they just did. "Queen arrived Sire."

"Which one?" He look sharply at the blue and orange fur covered creature.

"Yer Step-Mother, High Queen Titania."


	6. Chapter 6

Sorry something went funny with this chapter and I had to upload it again.

Hello again readers sorry about the wait for this chapter but hopefully it's worth it. Some questions answered, some new ones posed. Enjoy! and please review.

Chapter 6

Jareth rushed back to the throne room on foot. He could have simply transported himself but he knew Queen Titania's views on his frivolous use of magic.

He burst through the doors to the throne room a fake smile on his face. "Step-Mother, to what do I owe the pleasure of your company."

"Am I not allowed to visit the boy I helped raise." Her voice was like velvet and she shared the same accent as her stepson. After waiting for him to reply that didn't come she carried on. "Do you have a runner in your Labyrinth at the moment?" The beautiful, red haired woman, who had seated herself on his throne, pointed one elegant and manicured finger at the clock that was still counting down Sarah's now completely redundant extra time.

"No ma'am." He answered with complete honesty walking over to his throne.

"Good, that means that we have time to talk." A smile briefly graced her eternally young face, a face that belonged on a twenty year old.

"And what is it that is so pressing that you would travel all the way from Avalon to my humble home."

"Marriage." The woman smiled again as she pronounced the word.

"I had no idea that you and Father were having problems again."

"I see that your time here hasn't reduced you penchant for flippancy." The Queen sighed. "No not my marriage, yours."

* * *

Sarah awoke in a strange room, on satin sheets, in a four poster bed. By the smell of the sheets she could tell whose bed it was. For the second time that day she felt totally embarrassed, one kiss from the man had made her faint and all most of her brain could say to that was, "but what a kiss it was." The small part of her mind that was functioning, despite the massive influx of hormones, was trying to remind the rest that they hadn't resolved any of the major issues.

She moved off the bed and towards what she hoped were the main doors which weren't locked but led to an empty corridor. Not bothering to go any further she closed them again, Sarah had no wish to get lost in the Castle.

"I'm in the Goblin Kings bedroom, in the castle beyond the Goblin City and the Goblin King has disappeared, again." Sarah felt doubly stupid.

"King not gone lady." A small, familiar, goblin voice called from the shadows.

"You can come out and see me, you know."

A small troop of Goblins filed out of a corner that had been cloaked in darkness.

"Where's the Goblin King?" She asked the group

"In throne room," the leader spoke again after being shoved forwards by the others, "Speaking to High Queen."

"The High Queen?"

"Titania, she here 'cause Kingy not married yet." Another answered.

"Why isn't he married?"

"No one wants to be Goblin Queen. Fae ladies don't like us and don't like having fun. We like Lady Sarah, lady fun"

"Well I like you, for the most part, and I like having fun. I think it's time for some mischief." She smiled down at her Goblins.

"Queen Titania, I'm not married nor am I likely to be any time soon." That thought rankled in his brain. No matter what his libido was trying to tell him, his rational mind said he would never forgive Sarah, that ship had sailed, and no other woman would ever compare to her. "If that is all we have to discuss, I am very busy."

"Jareth you need a wife." Queen Titania insisted.

"No, I don't."

"Well your castle could certainly use a womans' touch. When was the last time this room was cleaned?" She looked around at the filth and squalor that adorned the throne room.

"What century is this?" he asked, only partly in jest. He didn't even see the dirt any more.

His Stepmother shook her head in exasperation. "Jareth, please try to be serious about this you have been alone here for far too long."

"I am serious and I don't need a wife."

* * *

Queen Titania was about to reply when she saw a young woman enter the side door of the throne room. The girl seemed to be in a state of _déshabillé_. Her dark hair was messily gathered over one shoulder and she seemed to be wearing one of her stepsons shirts, a white one with a very deep v-neck, over a pair of the denim trousers that were popular above.

"Jareth, I don't believe I've had the pleasure of meeting your friend." She indicated to the woman sneaking up behind the young king.

The Goblin King could feel a headache coming on as Sarah came level with him and curtsied to the High Queen. His mind was blank.

"Since His Highness seems to have lost his tongue, My name is Sarah Williams, your Majesty." Sarah genuflected again before she threaded an arm around the Goblin Kings waist, just to remind him of what her touch could do, she was rewarded by him repressing a shiver.

"I can see what was keeping you busy." Was the Fae womans response to her son. "I hope my stepson has been behaving like the perfect gentleman." She asked finally shifting her brown eyes to look the mortal girl over properly, in doing so she learned a number of interesting things.

"Of course he has, your Majesty. Once he found out about the little mix up that is."

Titania knew that the brunette was up to something but liked watching Jareth squirm too much to call her out. "Mix up?"

"Oh don't worry about it ma'am, it's been sorted privately between me and Sarah." Jareth managed to say, forestalling any more questions.

"Who's watching little Jay?" Sarah asked looking up at the beautiful face of the Goblin King, feeling slightly guilty that she hadn't considered him earlier.

"He's in the nursery, don't worry he's being well looked after." Jareth avoided looking down into Sarah's eyes.

"Little Jay?" The High Queen seemed interested.

"Her son." Jareth couldn't quite keep all the resentment out of his voice.

"I couldn't find a baby sitter." Sarah joked still looking up at Jareth.

"Well why don't you go check on him while me and my stepmother finish our little chat." He tried to smile down at Sarah to keep up appearances.

"I think I would like to see this child." Titania wanted a few moments alone with this strange mortal girl. "It's been so long since my nephews and nieces were small, I miss having babies around me. Don't worry about an escort." She said, rising from her seat. "I remember the way, I'll take Sarah with me." The Queen placed a hand on Sarah's shoulder and the two women disappeared.

* * *

The nursery was a large room fully equipped to deal with at least ten small children at once. However Jay was the only occupant at that time and the old nurse had put him down for a nap, watching over him from a sensible chair by his crib. She didn't seem surprised or bothered by the sudden appearance of the High Queen and Sarah, not moving from her position or acknowledging them.

"Young woman, before my stepson arrives I need to know, are you **the** Sarah? The mortal champion of the Labyrinth?" The High Queen's look was strangely intense.

"Yes, nine years ago I solved the Labyrinth and won my brother back. I may also have inadvertently broken your sons heart." Sarah admitted

"But you came back. Jareth brought you back?"

"Well he sort of misunderstood about little Jay. OK he jumped to completely the wrong conclusion about him." She amended after she looked into Titania's unbelieving eyes.

Titania looked down into the crib and used her magics to truly see the child and recognised something familiar, something that she had seen in Sarah too to a lesser degree. She could also see the obvious, that the boy could not be Sarahs and told her so. "This is not your child."

"Not in the physical sense no. I adopted him." Sarah fondly smoothed down the boys dark hair.

"But you share a blood relationship, through the mother?"

"Yes."

"Then how did he come to be in your possession?"

"Jay is the child of a man my seventeen year old cousin Lily met at a Masquerade Ball. An older man that she never saw again after that night. Her memory was slightly fuzzy, all she could remember was that he was 'drop dead gorgeous, had something to be proud about in the trouser department and that he smelled like Christmas morning,' Lily's exact words and not really much to go on." She paused. "My aunt, her mother, knew I wanted a family, but that the man I was waiting for either didn't exist or didn't care to appear. So a little over a year ago she invited me to visit her and she asked me to help. Lily didn't want the child but by the time she realized she was pregnant it was too late for a termination. I was going to help look after him, pay the medical bills and daycare but then the first time I held him, the first time I looked in his eyes, I fell in love, I couldn't let him go. I adopted him, he became my son on that day."

"And yet you have not told Jareth this?" The Queen Titania could feel the bond between the pair but didn't understand why there was so great a distance between them

"I thought I needed to even the score a little bit. He had no right to expect me to stay faithful to him, not after nine years and not when we never had a proper relationship to begin with." Titania looked slightly confused. "He sort of proposed to me when I was fifteen, after I had completed his Labyrinth, I refused because I didn't understand. Nine years on he hasn't called, hasn't written but he get insanely jealous when he finds out that I have a son that isn't his and drags me back here to run the Labyrinth again."

Titania looked like she was about to laugh. "He has not exactly covered himself in glory." The queen was grinning.

Sarah allowed herself a wry smile. "Yep, you helped raise a man who is as thick as two short planks when it comes to women."

"And I must ask, why are you wearing his shirt?"

The dark haired woman giggled, "I wanted to embarrass him in front of you."

Both women burst into laughter.

* * *

Jareth sat fuming in his newly vacated throne. Sarah and Queen Titania having a heart to heart was not really something that he needed at this time, and he could hear the laughter through the open window. He had to come up with some sort of plan, he couldn't let Sarah win, not again.

* * *

Hoggle and Sir Didymus had hurried back to the Castle beyond the Goblin City as fast as possible after they finished their conversation with Toby. They now understood about the child, They had to talk Sarah and explain things to the King before he made an unforgivable error.


	7. Chapter 7

I'm so sorry it's taken this long for me to update, I had a spell of writers block, I know where the story will end up but not how to get it there. Hope you enjoy, I wil update again as soon as possible. As always feedback is appreciated thank yous go out to the lovely people who've reveiwed my previous chapters.

Chapter 7

Jareth found it hard to plot revenge, the image of Sarah in his shirt kept popping into his head. The lace of her bra showing through the thin white cotton and glimpses of her d colletage from the low v of the shirts' collar. Her hand snaking round his waist had been torture. Even knowing what he could do to her and her little family she was playing with him.

No, he told himself. Sarah had to be punished after what she did. Smiling in her sleep when she heard his voice, less than a day ago, she had uttered Jareth's name for the first time within his hearing. How could she raise another man's child and still dream that he would come back to her? He was not a forgiving man, he told himself, or hadn't ever been before.

But what to do? How to deal with the one woman that had always confused him, had always been unpredictable and had refused him. Should he cut off all her ties to the underground to her 'friends'? That would annoy her certainly but was annoyance all he was after? What could he do that would leave her devastated and broken? He wanted her to suffer like he had for nine years. But she'd said she hadn't understood about what he was asking of her, human courtship rituals having moved on since the fae lived among mortals maybe she hadn't. Jareth's own mind was at war over how to proceed, a rare occurrence.

"At least the laughter has stopped." He muttered to himself.

* * *

"So what are your feelings for my stepson." Queen Titania asked, hoping that the answer was good news for the lonely king. She often worried about him.

"I don't know, honestly." Sarah picked up Jay to comfort herself. "Since I won Toby back all I could imagine was that Jareth would appear and be my knight in shining armour, save me from a world without magic. I waited for nine years and he never appeared. I thought about calling out to him so many times, but what if he laughed in my face, taunted me for being such a na ve little girl, told me it was all a trick. I'd rather have my perfect dream never come true than to see it shattered. So I had to save myself, I built a career, became a mother. Yet my heart still aches for him."

"You love him?" Titania wished that the answer could be and affirmative.

"I hardly even know him," Sarah looked into her little boys face avoiding Titania's eye trying to bury the feelings that were bringing tears to her eyes, "that's all my experiences in the underground have ever taught me."

"Yet you still wait for him?" The mortals thought process confused her.

"I don't know what else to do, I still want that dream."

"And do you know what his feelings for you are?"

"Contempt, anger, disappointment, attraction, lust. I don't think Jareth knows how to handle being near me, dealing with me, he never has. When I was here last time he said he was only "living up to my expectations of him". Maybe I had to refuse him so we could both grow up."

Titania couldn't help agreeing slightly, her stepson still had yet to mature. "I must go and finish my conversation with my stepson. Who knows what he might get up to if left alone to long."

"Please don't tell him about Jay, I will tell him myself, when the time is right."

"Sarah, if he does something... childish and you need me?" The High Queen left the question hanging.

"I'll call."

* * *

Having managed to sneak back into the castle, not a difficult task, Sir Didymus and Hoggle then had to find a goblin that would tell them where Sarah was, their King having locked himself in the throne room, which would be. Usually the public areas of the castle would be crawling with them but for some reason the castle was deserted.

The pair had been walking the ground floor of the castle for almost half an hour. As they came to a set of stairs they had walked past at least twice previously Hoggle couldn't take anymore.

"This is useless!" The dwarf exclaimed.

"Calm yourself, brother, we must proceed with our task."

"I is calm!" He shouted. "We just ain't getting nowhere."

"Let us think carefully," The little knight tried to think logically, "we would know if she had left the underground and she is not with our King. Would she have gone to be with the child?"

"That's just guessin'!"

"If that is what we must do..."

"Fine. That rat keeps the children this way." Hoggle began leading the fox up the stairs.

* * *

The Goblin King was still sat brooding, one leg thrown over the arm of his throne, when his stepmother reappeared.

"Jareth." She said simply to get his attention.

Feeling almost like a teenager again he looked up at his stepmother half preparing himself for a lecture.

"You cared about Sarah didn't you?" She asked bluntly.

"I see my lovely guest has been telling you stories."

"She said you once proposed to her yes. Do you still love her?" The High Queen watched him carefully

It wasn't a question he was expecting. "I did, until she betrayed me." Oddly he found he couldn't inject the needed venom into his voice to sound angry.

"And you are sure that she has done something so very terrible? A decade is a long time to a mortal, especially if you are spending it alone." Titania knew she had to try and get her son to see reason.

"I waited for someone like her for hundreds of years. She is unique and so wasted in that world, when I saw her..." His voice trailed off.

"You sought to keep her." Titania let her disappointment in that action show in her voice.

"She was too innocent to understand."

"Sarah cares for you though you have done nothing I can see to deserve her affection."

"It's too late for that. She had nine years to call for me."

Titania gave a short laugh. "It makes perfect sense that you would chose a woman who has more pride even than you. I warn you that if you hurt that glorious young woman, any more than you have already, there will be consequences." Jareth made no reply. "I bid you good day. Hail and farewell Jareth, King of the Goblins I will tell your father, Oberon, that you are well." And with that she transported herself home.

* * *

Sarah knew she was avoiding the inevitable, but she wasn't quite ready to go another round with Jareth not just yet. She enjoyed having little Jay in her arms, she often wondered what life would have been like if she had called out to the Goblin King. "Could you have been his child I wonder?" she mused out loud.

"He likes children." The old nurse spoke for the first time.

"I know."

"The fae find it hard to have little ones, it's why this kingdom is important, he brings children to those that want them, never keeps any for himself."

Sarah didn't feel so very confident any more, she felt fifteen again faced with the prospect of failure and a loss of faith in herself. She looked down into the face of her adopted son knowing that she had made a difference there. He seemed so very content to just sleep in her arms.

"I will always be there for you little one."

* * *

Hoggle had finally gotten his bearings and taken Sir Didymus to the nursery. Both were tired and weary only the knowledge that they had to talk to Sarah had kept them going.

They entered the nursery and were glad to see that Sarah was indeed inside. She was sitting in a rocking chair holding the sleeping babe, she had dozed off herself. The two friends rushed over, but couldn't wake her feeling the magic of an enchantment radiating off the slumbering woman.

They hovered around her hoping that they were not too late for the second time that day.


	8. Chapter 8

I finally figured how to get to the next bit of the story. I'm sorry in advance this is not a nice chapter.

**WARNING** : adult content and violence : **WARNING**

PS please don't hate me and I promise to update again ASAP.

Chapter 8

Sarah was dancing in someone's arms but her vision was blurred, she could not identify the man. There was music and laughter in the background, yet it wasn't happy laughter, it sounded mocking and malicious. She could tell the room was brightly lit and there was a heavy musk, the scent of sex, in the air.

There was something familiar about her surroundings and as her eyes cleared she saw with adult eyes a crystal ballroom where she had danced before. She looked down to see a familiar looking white and silver dress. A small part of her said she had to get away, to break the enchantment, as she had nine years before, but Sarah was unable to stop her masked partner from leading her around the dance floor, she was held tightly in his arms and the separate part of her mind was silenced.

Having no other option than to be swung around the dance floor Sarah took a long look at the man in whose arms she was held. He seemed so familiar but she couldn't remember his name. She could see blond hair around his goblinesque, white, mask, it was longer on the sides but shorter on the top, it stuck out in all directions like a lions mane.

"I know you from somewhere." Sarah told the man as she tried to avoid looking at the other people in the crowded room

"Really?" The man replied, his voice oozed charm and sex appeal even in just that one word.

"You're important somehow." She tried to remember.

"Am I now?" He teased.

"I was waiting for you somewhere."

"Then why did you stop, Sarah?" He made her name sound like a caress.

She made no reply, her eyes had met briefly with a man in the shadows at the edge of the dance floor. The lust in his eyes was scary and his look was echoed by every one around her.

"Why did you give up waiting?" Her dance partners voice was intense as he carefully enunciated the words, his grip on her waist and hand tightened.

Sarah was becoming increasingly nervous, her surroundings and the mans actions were setting off alarm bells in her head. She couldn't think of a response to his question, she somehow knew that having no answer would anger him. She diverted him, "Did you ever turn up?"

"Too late." His mask was gone and she could see his strikingly handsome face. The pale skin, upswept eyebrows and mismatched eyes made him seem more familiar than ever.

"We're together now isn't that all that matters?" Sarah didn't know why but she stood on tiptoes and pulled the mans head down to meet hers. The sensation as their lips touched was electric and the hungry looks on the face of the crowd were suddenly unimportant. The room seemed to fade away from around the lip locked pair.

* * *

When Sarah disappeared from the nursery Hoggle and Sir Didymus weren't sure what happened. If the enchantment had been broken she should have just woken up, not faded from view. That the nurse had somehow expected it they were sure, she had taken the child from Sarah's arms with only moments to spare. The dwarf and the knight could only hope Sarah was somewhere safe.

* * *

Jareth didn't know how Sarah had manoeuvred him into the kiss. It hadn't been part of his plan, but he couldn't bring himself to stop, he had let the magic ballroom fade as she'd deepened the kiss. Her hands were on his chest pulling at the openings to his shirt, he found his were at the ties to her dress.

Her skirt hit the ground, revealing a short lace underskirt, the bodice joined it only a few seconds later. He realized that his jacket and shirt had also been removed. As he ran his gloved fingertips over her bare back and shoulders he could feel the erect tips of Sarah's breasts on his chest through the thin fabric of her camisole, while her hands roamed over his smooth muscled chest. Her supple, scantily clad body pressed to his was the greatest distraction from his original plan.

* * *

Jareth, his name is Jareth, Sarah thought. Now she could remember his name she was sure the rest would follow. She threaded her fingers into his feather soft, white blonde hair. She could feel the heat building at the junction of her thighs, and could feel the bulge of his arousal through his leather trousers.

Shivering with excitement she took a deep breath in through her nose, the smell of cinnamon now in her head as they fell intertwined onto a four poster bed. Cinnamon scent rose from the covers beneath her. On some level she knew that this was his bed. His hands roamed under her camisole, fingertips softly brushing her nipples, sending shivers through her, making her hair stand on end.

She was in the presence of this perfect man. A gorgeous man, definitely not lacking in the trouser department, from the feel of his against her, and his spicy smell hot wiring her brain to dump crazy amounts of hormones into her veins. And this perfect man wanted plain mortal Sarah, her perfect man was lovingly tracing the mortal figure of the girl under him with his soft leather glove as she was successfully releasing the clasp of his belt.

A connection in her brain immediately doused the fire in her loins. Her mind was once again completely operational and in full possession of all the facts and her memories. Her cousins words suddenly had a very shocking meaning.

Jareth had obviously sensed the difference in her, her sudden stiffness. He broke off from nuzzling into her neck and looked down at her face only to see her wide eyed and surprised.

"Oh shit I never thought... Jays father was fae." She muttered struggling to breathe trying to pull away from Jareth slightly.

All Jareth heard was "Jays father" and it was enough to fill him with rage. To remember a past lover while in his bed. He would not be denied now he was once again reminded of her betrayal.

Sarah saw the change in the Goblin Kings eyes, the rage no longer controlled on his face. He brutally mashed his lips to hers, not caring that she didn't respond. It took a few moments for the still slightly stunned woman to realise what Jareth was intent on doing, at that point she started to fight him.

Jareth growled, her squirming under him was unwittingly rubbing against an increasingly sensitive area and even working down his tight trousers for him. He grabbed her arms and using a physical strength much greater than her own he held them above her head and with his free hand ripped away her last few, very thin, items of clothing.

"Jareth stop!" Sarah pleaded. "You don't understand about Jay."

He slapped her cheek hard, for mentioning the son of another man, bringing tears to her eyes.

"Please don't do this." She sobbed.

He drove her legs apart with his knee and positioned himself at her entrance.

"No!" She screamed at him, salt tears flowing from her emerald eyes.

He forced himself into her up to the hilt feeling something tear on the way, simultaneously knowing he had just done something he thought was impossible and that it was something his conscience knew was atrocious and utterly repulsive to him.

Sarah had still been a virgin An innocent, faithful woman, and he had raped her.

He withdrew from her directly, releasing her hands and rolling from his position over her. Jareth felt ill, guilt welling up inside him as he waved a gloved hand his clothing once more intact. He had wrapped her in a blanket where she had curled up into a ball, weeping and shaking.

"This isn't the way it was meant to happen." she whispered between her cries.

"Jay isn't your child." Jareths voice was coarse and broken as he spoke for the first time.

"My cousins. I adopted him." She managed to get out.

"I'm so sorry Sarah I..." He couldn't formulate the necessary words. The Goblin King backed away from the bed into a darkened corner of the room almost collapsing against the walls. He watched over the weeping woman as, exhausted, she succumbed to sleep. He continued his vigil as she slept, not able to sleep himself but unable to think of anything but the despicable act he had perpetrated.

* * *

When Sarah woke hours later no more tears fell. She gathered the heavy blanket around herself and rose from the bed. She calmly, and with more poise and dignity than the High Queen herself, walked over to the Goblin King. Her face set with a look of disdain but her eyes were hollow and empty.

"Your Majesty, I wish to go home now with my son. It is my wish that you never interfere with my life or the life of any member of my family ever again. You no longer have any power over me." As Sarah said the words she heard the clock begin to chime the end of her thirteen hours.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

There had been no dramatics this time, the Kings bedchamber in the castle beyond the Goblin City had simply faded around her leaving Sarah in the familiar surroundings of her own living room. Her clothes had not reappeared, Sarah was still wrapped only in a blanket. She walked calmly and carefully, ignoring the pain from where the Goblin King had forced himself into her, to her bedroom to check on her son.

Still sleeping peacefully, Jay was in his crib once more. He looked unchanged and unaffected by his trip to the underground. "Well I'm glad that one of us can be happy." She whispered to him, reaching down and stroking one of his cheeks. Sarah then backed away from his crib and threw on a plain night shirt, dropping the soft blanket on the floor, before letting her tears flow again.

She crawled into bed and curled into a foetal position beneath the covers unable to think or move until sleep overcame her. Her tears soaking into the pillow as she slumbered.

* * *

Sir Didymus and Hoggle had felt the ripple of magic that signalled Sarahs departure from the Labyrinth. They had slowly travelled back to the dwarfs small home outside the labyrinth to retake their position by the mirror, Sir Didmus took the first watch letting Hoggle sleep. Both of Sarah's companions with weary not just from the days rushing back and forth. By the time they reached Hoggles home they were soaked through as the labyrinth suffered with torrential downpours of rain.

* * *

Sarah slept dreamlessly until Jay woke her, demanding to be fed. She found it easier to move now but she still felt numb, like she'd turned off part of herself so she could still function. She gave Jay his bottle of milk, holding him as he fed and humming a little under her breath. She put him back in his crib when he was finished and despite the early hour went to have a shower.

Finding, once the warm water hit her, that she felt incredibly dirty she scrubbed her skin until it was red. She pretended not to notice the tenderness between her legs and the red stain the water took as it ran down the drain for the first few minutes. She stayed under the stream far longer than normal, her skin pruned and despite the temperature she felt herself shivering.

When she stepped out of the water she wrapped herself in a soft white towelling robe and headed back to the bedroom still not feeling clean. She sat down in front of her mirror to look at herself, much like she had the first time she'd returned from the underground.

Sarah had to admit that she felt unbearably old at that moment. Even though her reflection had not changed drastically, the fifteen year old Sarah was still there in her reflection, the young actress knew that something inside had been broken. She ran a brush through her long hair, it was still damp from the shower, ignoring the bruises she saw on her wrists from where the goblin king had gripped them.

* * *

Jareth had yet to leave his bedroom, he simply sat on his bed holding the shirt that Sarah had worn, he could smell her scent on it. He had been berating himself for all the mistakes he had made, knowing that he had betrayed the woman he loved, a woman who had loved him in return.

Not understanding what to do, how to make things right, the Goblin King was finding it hard to function knowing what he had done. He roused himself enough to realise that something was knocking at the door.

"Come." he called not letting go of the crumpled linen of the shirt.

A small but neat Goblin poked his head around the door and then waddled into the room.

"What is it?" The king demanded not in the mood to be disturbed.

"Lady gone?" The creature asked.

"Yes, Sarah went home." His voice was flat.

"High Queen back. Wants to talk to Kingy." The little thing sounded sad at the loss of Sarah.

Jareth rose from the bed and walked past the Goblin down the stairs dreading meeting his Stepmother after what he had done. Why was she back so soon anyway? Usually years could go past between visits from his parents, not hours.

He walked into his throne room with a heavy heart. Titania was standing by his throne looking pensive

"Mother much as I enjoyed your visit yesterday, now is an even worse time." He walked over to stand near her, his hair looked limp. His clothes, usually immaculate, were dishevelled.

The High Queen didn't miss his appearance or the use of the word "mother", the Goblin King only made that slip when he was tired or feeling guilt about something. Her mind made the connection, "Oh my son, what did you do?" her voice was full of concern and a twinge of disappointment.

Her tone of voice affected him, making him feel like a child again, he couldn't stop the truth from spilling out. "I made a terrible mistake and now Sarah will never come back to me." Despite his efforts to stay strong, Jareth collapsed to his knees, a broken man. "I crossed a line and she will never forgive me." The once strong king had tears in his eyes.

Queen Titania stepped forward to comfort the man she had raised, cradling his head against her stomach. "She didn't tell you about Jay in time." Her heart sank.

"I didn't give her time to explain. She waited for me, she saved herself for me and I never thought to just talk to her." He wasn't making sense.

"Jareth you need to tell me what you did." She held his head back and looked down into his eyes.

"I forced her. I took her innocence." he choked out.

Titania released his head and took a few steps back, angry at the king who was still kneeling. "She loved you Jareth, real love, not glamour or ambition and you broke her heart after I warned you not to hurt her!"

Silence fell in the throne room.

* * *

Sarah had been sitting in front of her mirror for quite some time. The sun had risen through the gap in her curtains. Once again it was Jay who roused her. He had woken up and was burbling happily in his crib. Sarah wiped away the last of her tears and dressed and a baggy t-shirt and sweatpants. She then tried to start her day normally as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

She fed and changed little Jay before starting to make herself breakfast, glad it was a Sunday and she didn't have to go anywhere or do anything. She took her second cup of coffee with her to the living room and tried to watch TV while Jay was in his playpen.

* * *

"Why did you come back so soon?" Jareth asked at last, his mind finally trying to think straight.

"I heard a cry, not a physical one but the sound of a heart breaking. It rang out in the night." The High Queen sounded royally pissed off. "All Avalon heard it, it took a few hours but I finally recognized whose magic was behind it and I came straight here."

"Does my Father know what I've done?" Jareth could rise above his self loathing just enough to worry about King Oberon's reprisals.

"No. No one knows who or what or why, save me." She replied. "Even I didn't expect this Jareth. I thought that you'd perhaps rejected her, crushed the dream she still held onto, of you and her. I came to see if you were both alright to try and make peace if possible. I had been worried that she may have tapped into her power to strike out at** you**."

"No, even with the hate she must feel, she didn't do anything physically to try and hurt me."

"And magically?" When he gave no reply the High Queen took a few more steps back to look down with incredulity at him, "Then you don't know?"

The King sounded resigned as he finally gathered his strength and rose from the floor. "Know what?"

"Your mortal love is not so mortal as she seems, it was not your magic I felt it was hers. Somewhere in Sarah Williams ancestry there was a fae, its not uncommon with her Celtic roots. Coming to the underground has let her tap into them, despite her mortality."

He tried to take in the fact that Sarah might have more powers than the ones he had granted her. "And what of her adopted son?" Jareth remembered, with guilt at what he had assumed, the boy's compelling eyes

"I think his father was a full blooded fae, the magic he holds was very strong. The mother remembers very little about him, except the exotic way he smelled, like Christmas morning Sarah said, his "prowess" and that he was preternaturally beautiful. That is the almost universal description of a fae man."

"Oh Shit." He said under his breath, 'Jays father was fae' he remembered Sarah muttering, "that's what she said that made me..." His actions the night before now seemed completely alien to him and all the more repugnant. "Being with me must have made her put it together that's why she stopped, it broke the moment, and I then..." Jareth had to turn away from his Stepmother feeling physically sick.

There was nothing that Titania could say to help him so she let the silence continue.

"She has forbidden me from seeing her." He stated his voice soft. "As a favour to me, please could you visit her, make sure that she is safe, that she she won't do anything stupid. Don't say I sent you."

"Yes I will go to the woman you have broken." Titania couldn't help the bitterness in her voice or the needless cruelty of her statement, she had felt true affection for the young mortal and the babe.

The High Queen gave no farewell this time, she simply disappeared.

11111111111111111111111111

Sarah was staring into space, little Jay sleeping in her arms, the TV blaring in the background unwatched. There were tears rolling down her cheeks again. No matter what she tried to do to distract herself she always came back to one simple fact, the love of her life had raped her. She didn't even notice when someone else appeared in her living room until they waved a hand in front of her face.

Blinking to clear the last of her tears she looked up into the concerned face of the High Queen of the Fae.


	10. Chapter 10

Thank you guys so much for all your reviews, praise and enjoyment of my story. I can't believe it is now 29 pages long, I think it's ending up a whole lot more complicated than I originally planned.

Just something to clear up for one reviewer; (It's the only question I can answer because the rest were all plot related.)

helikesitheymikey no she doesn't look 15 still. I meant that if you knew the 15 year old Sarah you could still see her features in 24 year old Sarahs face, even after what Jareth did, but that the inside was no longer recognisable.

As always feel free to review and I promise I will update ASAP.

Enjoy.

Chapter 10

"Sarah?" The Queen didn't like what she saw. The mortal looked exhausted, the light had gone out of her face and eyes.

"Your Majesty." Sarah acknowledged her, still keeping a tight hold on little Jay. "What are you doing here?"

"You called for me. I need to know what happened. What did he do to you?"

"We were.. and then I... and he was so... and he..." She couldn't get her words out she was clutching at Jay, her last tie to sanity.

"Sarah, you are not making sense. You were together?" Titania tried to guide her through the story.

She nodded, her eyes not leaving Jay.

The High Queen already knew what had occurred but she had to hear it from Sarah. "And something happened?"

"I figured out about Jays father, he was fae," Sarah briefly flicked her eyes up to the High Queen. "and I think I said something out loud." She was physically shaking now. "Jareth was so angry. He had been so tender up until then."

"You need to tell me what he did."

"I saved myself for him." She whimpered. "He never understood that."

"Sarah. Tell me." The High Queen repeated.

"I know he didn't mean to do it, I should have explained sooner but then it was too late."

Titania could see her bruised wrists clearly, understanding and already knowing full well what Jareth had done. "He raped you." she stated.

"He was just so angry, he wouldn't let me explain. I couldn't stop him."

"I am so very sorry Sarah." Titania apologized, perching on the sofa next to the broken woman and carefully taking the babe from her arms as Sarah seemed to collapse in on herself.

"It wasn't your fault, it was mine, I wanted to make him feel uncomfortable, to watch him squirm. I should have just told him and..." Sarah didn't have any tears left to cry or words to explain.

"This is not your fault Sarah. Don't feel guilty because Jareth is a spoilt, arrogant, little boy."

"But I should have told him. We would have been so happy. I waited for so long. Now everything is ruined" She felt so empty and broken. There were no tears left, no spirit to fight for her own sake.

Titania didn't know what to do. The Sarah of only a day ago had been strong, self reliant, ready to knock down the gates of hell itself if she needed to. Today she seemed to be locking herself into the fiery pit but she was still unwilling to condemn Jareth. The High Queen felt like wringing her stepsons neck for his actions.

Titania felt that she had to act, but she herself was unable to stay in the human realm too long or she would risk iron poisoning. She couldn't leave Sarah on her own though, who knows what the girl would attempt in her current state. Rising from the sofa with little Jay in her arms she moved towards the phone table.

Unlike her husband and his son Titania had kept abreast of developments in the human realm, both social and technological. She, while not understanding the mechanics, at least knew how to use a telephone. She looked at the list of emergency numbers that was pinned to the wall by the device.

First on the list was, 'Dad and Karen', that looked promising, juggling the baby and the handset she dialled hoping that someone on the other end would pick up.

On the forth ring a female voice answered, "Hello."

"Hello. Is that Karen Williams?" The High Queen enquired

"Yes, who is this?" The housewife obviously didn't recognise the British sounding female voice.

"Sorry to disturb you, My name is " She hesitated slightly before continuing with, "..Tania, I'm a friend of Sarah's."

"Has something happened, is she OK." Karen sounded concerned.

"Physically she is fine, but I'm worried about her. Um...She just broke up with her boyfriend." Titania thought that that was close enough to the truth to make sense to the mortal woman.

"My Stepdaughter doesn't have boyfriends." She'd accepted that fact long ago.

"Well I think she finally found the man she'd been longing for."

Karen often thought that Sarah had been waiting for someone special, "Really? What happened?"

"I think he hurt her somehow. She's been crying all night. I don't really want to leave her alone but I have to leave the country in the next few days."

"Is Jay, her son OK?" If Sarah was acting irrationally the baby might not be safe, Karen thought silently.

"The babe is fine, she hasn't neglected him, I think he's what's kept her going this long." Titania answered.

"Is there anyway you could get her here to us? I can't get up to New York and Robert is away on business till Thursday."

"Of course I can. Is tomorrow morning too soon to drop her off?" The High Queen asked in relief.

"Not at all."

* * *

Karen put the phone down, slightly reassured but still very worried about her step daughter and grandchild. They had buried the hatchet years ago actually managing to have a semi normal mother-daughter relationship and Karen had come to care for her. The process had been helped by the fact that Toby adored his older sister and his mother didn't have the heart to hold a grudge against the teenager Sarah had been a long time ago.

She had hoped that Sarah would find someone to spend her life with. It wasn't like Sarah was unattractive, she was a beautiful young woman. However it never seemed likely to happen Sarah had set her heart on the unobtainable. That she'd finally found someone and he'd hurt her just seemed so unfair to Karen.

Checking the time on the kitchen clock she knew Toby would be home from soccer practice soon and she was going to have to explain to him that Sarah was coming to visit and why.

* * *

Titania still held Jay in her arms, he was awake now and staring up at her, his eyes totally trusting. "Lets go see to your mother little one." She moved back to the sofa, Sarah hadn't moved in all the time that the High Queen had been on the telephone.  
"Sarah," Titania started again after several failed attempts to get her attention, "Jay needs changing." knowing that would get a response.

"Oh sorry," she responded instantly rising and holding out her arms to take the child.

The Queen didn't hand the babe over. "You need to pack a bag, you're going to visit your parents."

"What? I can't go anywhere, I have rehearsals tomorrow."

"Sarah you are in no condition to go to your rehearsal. When was the last time you ate a proper meal or drank some water?"

"I had breakfast just a little while ago."

"Sarah its almost seven o'clock in the evening. You haven't eaten all day."

The mortal woman just looked confused. "That isn't possible."

"You have had my son in your heart for too long. Heartbreak is never easy and you are suffering from shock as well. I cannot stay to look after you, nor order any one else to do so and I will not leave you all alone." Titania decreed leaving the room, hoping Sarah would follow.

* * *

Hoggle and Sir Didymus had been taking turns waiting in the mirror all day before Toby reappeared.

"Young Toby!" The small fox exclaimed as the boy entered the room.

"Sarah's coming home!" Toby whispered in excitement, his eyes wide, as he rushed over to the vanity.

"Then my Lady made it back to your realm safely? For alas we did not have a chance to speak before she left." he said regret in his voice.

"Mom says that she isn't well though, that she might not be herself." Toby added not understanding what his mother had tried to explain.

"That rat Jareth did do something to her, I knew it." Hoggle answered joining his friend in the mirror..

"She will be alright won't she." The blue eyes now held concern.

"Sarah'll have you to watch her now." the dwarf encouraged realising he shouldn't have said that in front of the boy. "We'll see you again soon but we 'ave to go now.

Toby said goodbye to his new friends, still excited that his sister was coming home.

* * *

"Sir Hoggle, what is it that troubles you?" The small knight asked his companion when they had moved away from the mirror.

"When was the last time it rained in the Labyrinth?"

"Hoggle thou knowest as well as I that the labyrinths magic is tied to the King. The weather is linked to that."

"Exactly. We get thunder 'n' lightning, freak hail storms and wind but it hasn't rained this much in a long time."

"You doth think the King feels Sarah's loss?" His whiskers twitched in perplexity.

"No, I think he did something bad to her. The rain's 'cause he feels guilty. He's done terrible things before and not turned a hair. What could he have done that would make him this guilty? If he has hurt her..." Hoggle could feel anger building.

"His Majesty has a great temper, Sir Hoggle, but I cannot believe that he would harm Lady Sarah intentionally."

The dwarf still looked worried, his already wrinkled face looking older than ever. "You believe what you need to friend, I have a bad feeling."

Sarah went after the High Queen, trailing after her into the bedroom. Titania had placed Jay in his crib and turned back to face Sarah.

"Is there someone you need me to tell about the little break you'll be taking from work?"

"My agent, Murray, he won't be happy." She answered not feeling anything herself at all.

"I shall telephone him while you pack a few things then." She left Sarah in the bedroom heading back out into the hall.

Sarah moved to her closet and pulled out a bag. She started to pull out other items from her wardrobe and drawers, placing them on the bed before carefully packing them into the bag.

Titania seemed to take a long time on the phone and having filler her bag, will enough clothes to last a few days, Sarah simply sat back down on the bed. She felt so weary again despite having done nothing all day. She closed her eyes and let sleep overtake her once more.

* * *

Five small figures watched "their Lady" from under her vanity, they were all piled in to the small space on top of each other. They didn't like what they saw. Sarah was supposed to have stayed in the underground, at least in their minds. Now she was back above and not herself, the small troop of goblins had taken it upon themselves to look after Sarah and her son.


	11. Chapter 11

I'm so sorry I haven't updated in soo long, I had writers block then the flu etc. Anyway here is the next chapter hopefully the next one will follow shortly.

I tried to get the story moving again in this one, not sure if I did. I promise the next few chapters will have more action.

Thank you for all those that reviewed.

Chapter 11

Sarah couldn't really remember the drive home. A car had picked up her and Titania, looking inconspicuous in a pair of jeans and a fitted green shirt, and had managed the usually long journey in record time.

They pulled up to the old Victorian house that had been Sarah's childhood home. It was always the same, like a fixed point in time, unchanged and unchangeable. Usually a comforting sight to Sarah now it just reminded her of the childish dreams that were now broken but she couldn't let go of.

Karen had greeted them at the door, sharing a look with the incognito High Queen after she seeing how gaunt Sarah looked.

"Well you're just in time for a late breakfast. Toby's should be back from school just after three, he's looking forward to seeing you again. Come in." She bustled, it was her defence mechanism, she could be a good hostess on autopilot while her mind ran the changes in Sarah.

Titania behaved like the perfect guest, picking up on Karen's shaky mood, as they sat at the large kitchens breakfast bar, Jay sleeping in his carry cot. Sarah sat eating her pancakes in silence, not even tasting them really, when she had finished she just sat staring at her empty plate.

When the small talk with 'Tania' had come to an end and Karen couldn't stand the silence any more she said, "Sarah why don't you go take your things up to your room, I'll keep an eye on the little one." She suggested, amazed when Sarah rose immediately and grabbed her bag and left the room.

"You see why I didn't want to leave her alone." Titania said as they heard the young woman mount the stairs.

"What happened?" Karen let her worry show.

"Heartbreak." was the short reply.

"You said on the phone she had finally met the right man?"

"I don't know the full story." Which was sort of true, "She met him a long time ago, I think, and he made a very big impression, no man since has measured up. They met again recently and he acted like a complete and utter arse."

"What I just saw is more than normal depression."

"Sarah did not have any experience with men and she threw herself wholeheartedly into the relationship. I don't think she was ready, he was an over possessive jerk and I think he forced her to go too fast because he didn't understand."

"What do you mean he didn't understand?"

"From what I understand, She was a...Sarah hadn't ever." Titania wasn't sure how to continue that sentence.

"Of course she has, she must have."

"As I said he made a big impression. The most idiotic thing is that I know the man, he loves Sarah and I mean completely over the moon, crazy in love with her. He just wouldn't admit it, and now he has completely blown it."

* * *

Sarah had entered her old room just like she had a million times. Her eyes lingered on all the reminders of her childhood. The Escher prints, the glass music box with the girl in the white gown, the figurine of the Goblin King. The toys that had made the labyrinth feel so familiar, yet despite what had happened the room didn't feel oppressive, it was comforting. Her dream of the labyrinth hadn't been shattered only her dream of it's king.

She felt like rushing over to the mirror and calling her friends but how could she explain what happened to them. Instead she settled for unpacking her small bag into the empty drawers, in the process coming across a small, red leather backed, book.

* * *

"Anyway I know she'll be safe with you. I think that being home will snap her out of it. I'll go see how she is." Titania rose from the table and followed Sarah's path up the stairs.

The young woman was sitting just staring into space again, her hand clutched around something. The High Queen looked around the room in amazement. It was small considering the size of the house although everything seemed to have its place but that wasn't what caused her awe. In this room she could feel the magic of Sarah's belief in the faery realm. She wondered if the girl had collected the items before or after her first trip to the Labyrinth.

"When I got back the first time I wasn't even sure it was real." Sarah spoke, breaking the silence, she'd moved over to her vanity. "I thought I'd fallen asleep or something. The whole thing was just a crazy nightmare. Then Hoggle and Ludo and Sir Didymus appeared in the mirror," she touched its surface, "and then in the room behind me." there was a smile on her face. "It had actually happened, I'd spent 11 hours in the Labyrinth and I'd won. I danced with the Goblin King," she lightly brushed her fingers down the music box, "in the dress of my dreams, while he sang to me." she turned the key to hear the familiar tune.

"He sang to you?" Titania was amazed, fae song was almost never heard by mortal ears. Male fae only sang to those they wanted to court seriously, Sarah wouldn't have understood.

"Then he asked me to stay, not to leave him, he didn't see that I had to say no."

"My Step-Son has never been very intuitive."

"I never really left the Labyrinth, not in my head, I suppose now I finally get to grow up and move on."

"Sarah..." The High Queen started.

"It's OK, your Majesty, I'll be alright now. Being home will help. We should get back downstairs to Karen."

"Your Step-Mother is an interesting woman."

"She's not as awful as I used to make out. The whole thing started nine years ago because I thought she was an evil witch and thatToby was the spawn of the devil." Sarah gave a small laugh that did more to take the weight off Titania's mind than the arrival at the house had.

"This Toby sounds like a special boy for you to brave the Labyrinth and its king."

"He was my brother, nobody takes what is mine, not even mullet haired, pretty boys with huge egos." Titania couldn't help but laugh out loud at that. "If you stick around a little while you could meet him, and I can show you my old haunts. Do you really have to disappear so soon?"

"The fae cannot stay too long in the human world. There is too much iron here but a few more hours won't hurt."

* * *

The rain had yet to stop, certain parts of the Labyrinth had already begun to flood. The bog of eternal stench had begun to overflow hours ago. The goblins didn't care, they were too busy frolicking in the new mud. The fireys had retreated into a cave deep in their forest and even the pesky fairies had disappeared.

Hoggle and Sir Didymus had found Ludo dripping wet sitting in a puddle staring up at the sky, his brows brought together in confusion. They took him back to Hoggle's and now he sat by the small fire creating a puddle on the floor. The three friends sat in silence unsure of what to do now, still waiting for Sarah to call for them.

* * *

When Sarah re-entered the kitchen Karen could see the change in her body language. She seemed more self-possessed but her eyes still seemed haunted and that worried her step-mother.

* * *

Titania spent the morning wandering the centre of town with Sarah. Everyone seemed pleased to see the young woman and greeted her warmly. "The hazards of coming from a small town." she explained.

The High Queen enjoyed coffee at the local caf and home made ice cream. She enjoyed walking around without the pomp and circumstance of Avalon and her court, to pretend she was just a mortal woman with no responsibilities, being with Sarah made it easy.

After lunch Sarah took Titania to the park where she had rehearsed plays as a child. They had been seated on a bench for some time before Sarah spoke.

"This is where I would spend most of my time."

The park was completely secluded from the modern world, full of trees and greenery. "It is a truly inspiring place." Titania agreed trying to draw Sarah into conversation. Talking seemed to help the distraught woman and the High Queen wished to hear more about Sarah and Jareth.

"I would recite plays and novels for hours on end. Shakespeare was a favourite, A Midsummer Nights Dream especially,

"I pray thee, gentle mortal, sing again:  
Mine ear is much enamour'd of thy note;  
So is mine eye enthralled to thy shape;  
And thy fair virtue's force perforce doth move me  
On the first view to say, to swear, I love thee."

Sarah was a compelling actress, even in the short speech Titania could see the young woman's talent. "Dear William always did have a way with words." The passage that Sarah had recited struck a chord in Titania, it fit the situation with her step-son perfectly, as well as being attributed to her own character in the play.

"It must have been here where Jareth first saw me, reciting some play or other, there was a white owl that used to perch on top of that obelisk over there." Sarah reached into her handbag and pulled out the copy of the 'Labyrinth'. "I was sent this for my 15th Birthday we never figured out who it came from."

"This book gave you the idea to call out to the Goblin King?"

"I never thought it would actually work."

"As a mortal you are rare, to have enough belief to call a fae to you."

They lapsed into silence again, Sarah content to just take in the atmosphere and Titania not wanting to force the issue.

It was just after three o'clock when they returned to the house. Little Jay was waking up from his nap and Karen was glad to hand the child back to his adoptive mother for his afternoon feed. Titania was helping Karen make afternoon tea.

Toby burst through the front door,not long after their return, dumping his school things at the bottom of the stairs.

"Mom? Is she here yet? Is she here yet?" He yelled rapidly, running through to the Kitchen. "Sarah!" The blond child ran straight to his sister hugging her waist fiercely.

"Tobes, be careful I'm holding the baby here." Sarah couldn't keep the huge smile from her face.

"Sorry Sarah." He apologised immediately, loosening his grip. "They said you were coming home." He said cryptically before looking up at the High Queen of the Seelie Court, his face showing awe.

"Toby, this is my friend, Tania." Sarah said indicating to Toby with her eyes that whatever he saw in the woman was not to be mentioned to Karen.


	12. Chapter 12

As promised a chapter ASAP. Hope you are all enjoying the story so far. Please review.

Hopefully I'll get the next chapter up soon.

Chapter 12

"Toby don't be rude." His mother chided. "Say hello to your sisters friend."

The ten year old chose at that moment to go shy and hide behind his sister, before running back out of the room. Titania was looking down at the boy with an odd gleam in her eye.

"Sorry about that," Karen apologised, "I don't know what comes over him sometimes."

"It is perfectly alright." The High Queen responded graciously. "Why don't Sarah and I take the tea things through to the lounge?" she suggested taking the tray and gesturing for Sarah to follow her out of the kitchen.

"About Toby, I'm sorry." Sarah also apologised, "I didn't warn him not to act weird around you in front of Karen."

"Why would he act oddly around me?" Titania asked placing the tea tray down on the lounge table, disguising the true level of her curiosity.

Sarah gestured to one of the sofas and sat on the chair opposite. "Because he can probably see that your not human, Glamours don't affect him." Sarah answered as if it was nothing unusual.

"How on earth would you know that? Do you meet many glamoured fae?"

"No but since I won him back, maybe before, we seem to have attracted a Goblin guard of honour. Unless they reveal themselves I can't see them, Toby can."

"Karen, I take it, does not know."

"No I made him swear that it would be our secret. In return he wanted to hear the story of how I won him back."

"You and your brother have a very strong bond."

* * *

Toby had rushed away from the Kitchen and up the stairs to Sarah's room. He touched the surface of the mirror and quietly called out to Hoggle and Sir Didymus.

The two friends appeared quickly, "Is Sarah there?" Hoggle asked before Sir Didymus could start with the long greetings.

"Yes, she's downstairs with a fairy woman."

"A fae gentlewoman?" The fox asked.

"Titania was in the city at the same time as Sarah according to some of the Goblins." the dwarf replied.

"Be very careful young master, the woman you speak of is High Queen Titania of the Seelie Court."

"She did look very important."

* * *

"I suppose we do." Sarah lost the happy look her face had taken on since seeing Toby. She rocked Jay in her arms absent mindedly.

"Why are you so sad about that?"

"Because that's Jareth's fault for making me fight to get him back. My life still revolves around the Goblin King. I can't escape him, even though I banned him from ever being in my life again."

* * *

"Toby, she is King Jareth's step-mother." Hoggle told the boy.

"Then if Jareth hurt Sarah she is here to make her better?" Toby asked.

On the other side of the mirror the two friends didn't know how to answer. "We can but hope." Sir Didymus tried to reassure the boy.

* * *

"Despite what he did, Sarah," the High Queen tried for the first time to defend her step-son, "he does care for you."

"It's too late for him to care about me. He obviously didn't care enough to just talk to me but he was jealous enough to assault me." Sarah just looked into her sons face.

Titania had nothing to say in response to that and Karen's entrance made further talk on the subject impossible. They drank the tea in relative silence, Sarah was too preoccupied thinking about the Goblin King, Titania not sure what was left to say to Sarah or Karen and Karen herself was too worried about Sarah's fluctuating mood.

When they had finished their drinks Karen started to clear the tea things away. She was glad when the phone rang she rushed out into the hall to pick it up. Sarah didn't really want to talk any more so she asked Titania to hold jay while she finished clearing up after the tea and carried the tray back to the kitchen.

Titania sat in the empty room taking in the d cor, that must have been Karen's choice, and wondering about the Williams family, for mortals they seemed extraordinary. Sarah's belief, Toby's sight, Jay's parentage, traits that were not usually contained in only one close family.

"Your Majesty?" A small voice from behind the Sofa opposite the High Queen roused her out of the reverie.

"Yes Toby?" she replied to the sandy haired boy looking at his features properly for the first time.

"Is Sarah gonna be OK?" His eyes were wide.

"I think so." She rocked Jay in her arms as she said it.

"She went back to the Labyrinth and the King hurt her?" Toby wanted confirmation of what Hoggle and Sir Didymus told him.

"How did you know that?

"Hoggle told me." The boy replied as if that would be understood by the queen.

"Your sister just needs a little bit of time. I need you and your mum to look after her."

"And Jay." the little boy added stoutly looking at baby in Titania's arms.

"Yes the babe too." Titania agreed

Toby accepted with an "OK."

"Toby, you see me for what I am don't you?"

"Yes ma'am."

"How long have you been able to see like that?"

The boy cocked his head to one side in thought, "Don't know. I remember the Goblin King holding me in his arms, playing with me I think. He was shiny too."

"And you've been able to see like this ever since?"

"Yes."

"I'm very glad to have met you Toby." She said suddenly

"I like you. You're all sparkly." Was the boys happy reply.

The High Queen had to laugh slightly at that comment.

* * *

Sarah loaded the dirty crockery into the dishwasher, trying to avoid thinking too much. The thoughts going around in her head were too confusing and frustrating. Hate for Jareth, love for her son and Toby, regret for what happened, love for Jareth. Too many conflicting emotions.

Karen was talking to her father on the telephone, Sarah couldn't hear the conversation but she recognised the tone of voice that her step-mother used. It had taken a long time for her to realize that her father loved Karen, it wasn't the passion of youth or the volatile relationship that had existed between him and her mother Linda. Sarah felt slightly envious of the loving relationship, something that she had never had, might never have.

She finished procrastinating in the kitchen and went to rejoin Titania in the sitting room.

* * *

"Lady still sad." A small voice whispered from the cupboard under the sink.

"Kingy silly for letting Lady leave." Another whispered back.

"Maybe Lady wants to go back." A deeper voice entered the conversation.

"We'll watch until she wishes." The first voice ended the debate.

* * *

Titania was still sitting on the Sofa, somehow she had coaxed Toby to talk to her. Karen was still on the phone. He was sitting next to the High Queen his voice going at over a hundred miles an hour as he explained something or other. Sarah cleared her throat loudly making Toby turn around to face his sister. Titania looked grateful to be saved from the young boy.

"Toby do you have any homework that you have to do?" Sarah asked taking Jay back from Titania.

Her little brother avoided looking Sarah in the eye.

"I'll take that as a yes. Say goodbye to Tania and go start your homework, I promise to come help you in a little while."

"OK." Toby pretended to be glum. "Bye Titania." He said as he passed the High Queen.

"Goodbye Toby." She responded. "He reminds me of my son Eric at that age."

Sarah hadn't asked about the other members of the fae royal family. "How big is your family?"

"Small. Fertility is an issue for all fae, it is why we need the Goblin Kingdom. I have two children, Eric and Diana, both are Oberon's."

"I gather that he hasn't been so monogamous."

"Jareth is not his only other child, but the only one that was raised with my children. His mother died and Oberon insisted."

"Fae men can be very persuasive." Sarah knew from personal experience.

"I must take my leave now, Sarah, I can not stay in the mortal realm much longer." She rose from the sofa.

"Thank you for taking care of me, Jareth owes you a big favour."

"You knew he was the one that sent me?"

Sarah didn't answer.

"Be well, Sarah Williams." And with that the High Queen was gone.


	13. Chapter 13

Sorry for this chapter taking a while and not being as long as previous ones.

Thank you all those who reviewed feel free to do so again.

Hopefully this chapter paves the way to getting the story moving again.

Enjoy and please review.

Chapter 13

That night Sarah dreamed for the first time since her return from the Underground, proper dreams not the nightmares that had plagued her. She found herself lying in the arms of a man, her head cushioned on one arm, the other was round about her waist, holding her to him whoever he was. It was peaceful and restful and surprisingly she didn't feel awkward or scared. Jay had disturbed her rest only once, she had fed him and he'd settled down again immediately, when she awoke the next morning she didn't give the dream a second thought.

Toby had made her keep her promise the day before, she had helped him with his homework. And then he had demanded stories at bed time. When he finally dropped off she said goodnight to Karen and went to her own room. Sarah thought again about calling to her friends in the labyrinth but she still didn't know how to explain what had happened to them.

She found it easier to get up that morning, She washed and dressed quickly, Jay was still half asleep when she changed and dressed him, before going down to breakfast with Toby and Karen.

* * *

Titania had returned to Avalon the previous evening, to attend court and explain to her husband what an idiot his son was. He didn't take the news of what Jareth had done very well. It had taken Titania an hour to calm Oberon down again and not to go straight to the Labyrinth to have it out with the Goblin King. Titania assured Oberon that she was handling the situation.

After a nights rest and a refreshing bath, to wash the traces of iron from her skin, the High Queen readied herself for the day. On her agenda that morning was a trip to see her step-son to make sure he was still functioning, well as much as needed to control the Goblins and other denizens of the Labyrinth, and to tell him that Sarah was safe. She applied the finishing touches to her appearance and transported herself to the centre of the Labyrinth.

Breakfast in the Williams house was a very calm affair, choreographed and executed according to a set plan. Toby was sent off to school with his completed homework, books and lunch box. Karen was going to the salon to get her hair done and then she had to go get the weeks groceries leaving Sarah alone in the house for a few hours. Robert Williams was due back that evening from his business trip.

Karen had had reservations about leaving Sarah alone but she'd seemed more herself at breakfast, though the dark circles were still beneath her eyes. She had even smiled when Toby had told a very bad joke. Karen couldn't help thinking that if she ever met Sarah's mystery man he would be given a very big piece of her mind.

* * *

When Titania re-materialized in the throne room of the Castle beyond the Goblin city the room was still a pig sty. 'Some things never change,' she thought to herself. After waiting for someone to come fetch her or that she could send to fetch Jareth, for much longer than usual, the High Queen decided to take the initiative and transported herself straight to the King himself.

She found him in his room. From the musty smell of the air he hadn't left it in a while.

"Jareth. Time to wake up." Titania called sweetly to her slumbering Step-son. When that didn't work she opened all the curtains in the bedroom with a magic sweep of her wrist, flooding the room with light. There was an answering groan from the bed.

"I thought you would like to hear about my trip into the mortal realm."

"What?" Was the fuzzy response from the still half asleep Jareth. The Goblin King sat up in bed, his normally wild hair looking decidedly flat today. There were dark purple circles around his eyes.

"You will of course be glad to know that Sarah is safe. I took her to home to her parents and brother."

"She's alright?"

"No, she is not alright. You broke her heart. You almost broke her."

"I never intended to hurt her not nine years ago not when I found out about her son.."

"Yes you did, you wanted revenge, for Sarah to feel pain, perhaps not physical pain but still pain, You got your wish all because you leaped to a conclusion and had a very unrealistic view of the situation. From what I can tell Sarah had no reason to even like you after her run through the Labyrinth. Why wouldn't she move on, court other men?"

"But she didn't..." He started.

"That isn't the point you had no right to expect her to, not after nine years, more than a third of her very _mortal_ life."

"I left her alone for almost a decade, I tried to forget her..."

"And couldn't? You thought she'd forgotten about her trip here, she loved you , she waited nine years for you so she could tell you that, too proud to call for you. She was lonely and so she adopted a baby because she was still saving herself for you, the stupid girl because you don't deserve her."

"I know that she cared now." Jareth snapped.

"But it won't help you now." Titania paused for a minute or two before continuing, "There is no time for you to wallow in guilt, you have a kingdom that needs you, you have an important task. Pull yourself together and don't worry, I will make sure that Sarah recovers."

* * *

Sarah, after a less than pleasant phone call to her agent, decided to finally talk to her friends in the Labyrinth. She sat in front of her vanity and called out to them. They didn't take long to appear in the mirror..

Chorus's of "Sarah," "My Lady," and "Sawah." greeted her..

"Hi guys."

"My Lady, are you alright?" Sir Didymus was the first coherent question.

"Yes I'm fine. Sorry I didn't get a chance to find you while I was in the Labyrinth."

"Sawah, sad." Ludo's bass voice rumbled.

"What did that rat Jareth do to you this time?" Hoggle's lined and wrinkled face was concerned.

"It doesn't matter Hoggle, its all over now."

"He's feeling guilty about something, it rained from the time you left till this morning." The Dwarf explained.

"Yea verily, our Kings emotions have always affected the climate of the Labyrinth." The chivalrous fox explained when Sarah looked confused.

"I'm OK now, both little Jay and I are safe, you don't have to worry about us."

"Sawah, sad." Ludo repeated.

"It's alright Ludo, I'll be better soon." She gave a little smile to reassure the gentle beast.

* * *

Oberon High King of the Fae sat on his Throne at Avalon, bored with court and fuming about his wife's revelations about his son. He absent mindedly ran his hand through his short dark hair, his blue eyes distant , patrician features pulled into a scowl. Although he wasn't exactly sure what was annoying him the most, that his son had harmed Sarah Williams, champion of the Labyrinth, or that his wife had been the first to know and had told him not to interfere.

He was very curious about the Williams girl, the first woman to grab Jareth's attention, and she was mortal from a realm were magic was disappearing. A Celtic woman, with a half fae child in her care, whose cries had reverberated through Avalon, that he would investigate.


	14. Chapter 14

Thank you all those who have reviewed my work please keep them coming.

I can't believe I'm over the 20,000 word mark now, this story was never meant to be this long or involved.

I hope you like this chapter. I promise I am trying to get the momentum moving again.

Again if you like please review.

Enjoy.

I'll try to update again ASAP

Chapter 14

Sarah had enjoyed catching up with her friends in Labyrinth, despite their concern for her. Hoggle told her about his gardens and Sir Didymus about his latest quests, Ludo didn't really speak much and kept repeating "Sawah sad." She could see that Hoggle didn't want to drop the subject of what the Goblin King had done to her either but she didn't know how to answer him.

She heard Karen return home from the Salon and quickly said goodbye her friends. promising to speak to them again soon. Sarah went downstairs to greet her Step-Mother.

"Hi Karen," she said walking down the last flight of stairs into the hall, "wow what did Ella do to your hair it looks great?" Ella was the stylist at the Salon, Karen's normally golden blonde hair had been dyed a burnished copper colour.

"Do you really think so?" Karen asked primping her hair in the mirror.

"Yeah but what made you change it? You've had the same style since you married Dad." Sarah teased

"I was inspired by your friend Tania and I wanted to look my best when he comes home tonight." She smoothed down the last little piece of hair

Sarah joked. "And when did we start living in the 1950s?"

"Sarah you're young and beautiful, you have yet to learn that men sometimes need reminding that even though their wives are getting older they are still fabulous, keeps them from straying"

Karen could tell that those words had affected Sarah in some way. That man must have really done a number on Sarah, she thought to herself.

Sarah was struck by Karen's words but not for the reason she thought. The Goblin King was a fae, immortal, unchanging, he would never grow old, but she would. He would have eternity to move on and find other loves. It was another tug at her heart, another reminder.

"Sorry I zoned out for a bit there." Sarah apologized, "Do you want me to start making lunch?"

* * *

At first Oberon couldn't see anything all that special about the girl his son Jareth had fallen so hard for. Admittedly Sarah Williams was beautiful, even by fae standards, but there were more than just a few other humans that attractive. However this girl was no ordinary mortal and not because of her ancestry. At one point it wasn't unusual for the fae to take human lovers, the early Celts had thought that the fae were Gods, a great many mortals from the British Isles had ended up with some fae blood. But even the half blooded were mortal, they had no access to the magic that was in their veins if they grew up in the mortal realm, there was to much iron in the mortal realms atmosphere now. Sarah had tapped into hers somehow, maybe due to her trip into the Labyrinth.

The more he watched her the more he could feel the pull of the woman and it wasn't her magic. There was an innocence in her eyes that many humans lost early in their lives. He watched her as she told stories to her little brother, he could feel the belief in the tales she weaved, the force of her imagination. The strength to carry on despite what had happened. Jareth hadn't stood a chance when he had seen her, none of his subjects would have, she was a pure soul, untarnished and uncorrupted, to the attuned eye it shone like a halo. The fae court was decadent, self-indulgent and corroded in moral fibre. Sarah Williams purity could have had every man she'd ever known, mortal or fae, at her beck and call.

The High King of the Fae needed to find out more about Sarah's trip through the Labyrinth something had happened there. There was also the mystery of her adopted son, who was his father? The fae could no longer survive in the mortal realm for long with out losing their magics and only the upper echelons of fae society had enough magic to transport themselves from the underground. Therefore Jays father was one of only a handful of people.

* * *

Hoggle was relieved to have spoken to Sarah but he could see the gaunt look of her face and the pain in her eyes. There was something that she wasn't willing to tell them, something that the Goblin King had done. At least the rain had stopped, he thought to himself. Queen Titania had visited again this morning, whatever she had said had made Jareth start behaving more like his usual self. He had answered a summons, there was a runner in the Labyrinth and the goblins were infesting the throne room again.

* * *

Lily Joughin, was a normal high school senior, well apart from the months that she'd been home schooled to hide her pregnancy. That was all that Oberon had been able to find out about Jay's birth mother from her school. Lily herself reminded him of her cousin Sarah, she had the same dark brown hair and green eyes but her face was more heart shaped and her lips weren't as full. The teenager also radiated, to a lesser degree the same innocence as Sarah which explained her attracting the attentions of one of his nobles. But the girl didn't have Sarah's strength, belief or determination, hence why whoever had slept with her hadn't promptly bundled her off to the underground.

Oberon's biggest problem was that Lily herself didn't remember the father except for the generalized description that his wife had told him. It seemed that what ever glamour the man had used would have to be broken before he could find out any more than that. Breaking the glamour of another was not an easy task, not without revealing himself, but Oberon was convinced it had to be done.

* * *

Lunch with Sarah was slightly awkward, there were gaps in conversation as the young woman dwelled on the past. Karen simply chose to ignore the gaps as if they hadn't happened. In some ways Karen was disappointed that Sarah didn't feel ready to confide in her. When Robert arrived in the evening he would demand to know what had happened to his little girl.

"Sarah I know that it might be difficult to tell me but I need to ask, what happened?" Karen plucked up her courage to ask.

Sarah paled at the question the haunted look seeping back into her eyes. "Didn't Titania tell you?"

"Not in any detail." Karen replied, not really noticing the Use of the High Queens full name.

"I met Jareth when I was fifteen," Sarah started her voice sounding almost forced. "He was the reason I stopped behaving like a spoiled brat." she admitted matter of factly, trying to be detached and thinking through the story editing out the unbelievable elements.

"I did wonder about the overnight change." Karen admitted

"He was a lot older than me and I didn't really understand what he was offering me." That was the truth.

"Offering you?"

"He asked me to marry him but not in so many words, but really we'd only just met and he expected me to drop every thing and run off with him." Understatement of the century Sarah added in her mind.

"When you were fifteen?" Karen was stunned and slightly horrified. "How did you respond to that?"

"I turned him down." She gave a wry smile. "Actually I dumped him hard and gave him the worst dressing down of his life."

"But he'd made his impression?"

"Jareth is the worst man for a fifteen year old to ever meet, he's indescribably attractive, a man no other would match up to. I never had him but I never got over him."

"And you met him again recently?"

"He never got over me either apparently and so he tracked me down and got my attention." By kidnapping my son, she added in her mind. "He felt that I should have waited for him, he didn't quite understand about Jay, to be honest he never asked about the father, he was so jealous when he found out about...and in the middle of... I got cold feet and asked him to stop...he wouldn't." Sarah couldn't say all the words.

"He forced you?" Karen sounded disgusted when she put the pieces together.

"He didn't realise that I was a Virgin until... and the look on his face... horror and disgust but I saw the small glimmer of something else in his eyes... triumph...pride," That memory almost made her wretch, "and I wasn't imagining it... I told him to never bother me or my family again and I left." She had finally admitted the most hurtful part of the whole encounter, the memory that haunted her.

"Oh Sarah I'm so sorry."

"I just need to get back on my feet, bury him again." The young woman didn't really want pity.

"Who is he, this Jareth?" Karen was angry at the man properly now she knew the whole story.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you. You'd think I was crazy." Sarah had no way to tell Karen that even in half truths.

"No I wouldn't."

"He's... he's a member of a European Royal family." It was a better explanation than nothing.

Karen' face was a picture of shock and awe.

* * *

NB

Joughin – {pronounced Jock-in but softer on the ck sort of like the Scottish "och"} Traditional Manx surname

Manx – Nationality of the Isle of Man a small island in the Irish sea located in the middle of the British Isles.


	15. Chapter 15

Hi sorry for the long wait between updates here's the next chapter I hope you like it.

Thank you's to all those who have reviewed feel free to do so again.

I can't believe that this story has gotten so long. I never intended it to.

Enjoy.

Chapter 15

"He's... he's a member of a European Royal family." Sarah didn't know how to gauge her Step-Mother's reaction to that lie, even though it was the closest to the truth that Sarah would ever be able to manage.

After a few minutes Karen finally answered. "How on earth did you meet a man like that when you were fifteen?"

"Pure chance, I think. Jareth said that he first saw me in the park reciting lines, then he managed to engineer a meeting."

"Come on you have to give me a few more details than that."

Sarah thought about just coming out and saying, "One day I was babysitting Toby and Jareth had him kidnapped," but she knew that Karen would just overreact completely so she went with the slightly more conventional, "He arranged for us to meet "accidentally" I don't know how. But he certainly knew how to make an entrance that was hard to forget."

"And he wanted to marry you, when you were only fifteen?" Karen sounded dubious.

"I think he thought I was older, over 17, that or he just didn't care. He's a bit impulsive and used to getting what he wants. He didn't understand that I was too young know what he was offering."

"And just where is he now?"

"He went back to where he belongs and I told him to stay there." Sarah stated matter of factly.

There was still one connection to the situation that Karen couldn't make, "What about Tania? Where does she fit into this?" Karen, in fact, still had many questions about the whole situation but she could tell that Sarah was starting to clam up, she needed to ask the important ones quickly.

Sarah was tired of lying so she told the truth. "She's his Step-Mother."

Karen's jaw dropped at that.

"Yeah I know she looks a bit young."

When Karen got her head around that she simply said, "Well I'm glad someone in that family cared that this Jareth was a jerk."

"Tania was really nice about it, helping me get home. I'm pretty sure by now she will have torn Jareth a new one."

* * *

High Queen Titania had been informed that her husband had been to the mortal realm, and she was annoyed that he had gone against her wishes, but she didn't want to just come right out and ask him about it. She spent a morning sat on her throne next to him stewing over how to bring the subject up. In the end she didn't have to say a word.

"I suppose that you may already know I went above." Oberon started.

"Yes I gathered as much, you really should learn how to leave the palace secretly." His Queen responded.

"But then you wouldn't be able to have any fun trying to find me, to look for me you have to know I'm gone." He tried to joke, Titania was having none of it. "It seemed that Sarah Williams was a very interesting mortal I had to go see her for my self." He continued tying to keep the conversation casual, he knew his wife's tendency towards histrionics and they were in public.

"Your son certainly thinks her important." Titania responded with only the smallest amount of resentment.

"And you what do you think of the girl?"

Anger clouded the High Queens next statement, "That she didn't deserve what happened to her and that she deserves a great deal more than Jareth."

"No, she didn't deserve to be assaulted," Oberon agreed to half of his wife's statement but he couldn't agree to the other half, he'd always had a soft spot for the Goblin King. He breathed out in a long sigh before continuing. "I think that I need to have a serious talk with Jareth about getting his facts straight."

"And in keeping his temper in check when things are not going his way." His wife added.

"Perhaps. I also paid a visit to the child's birth mother."

"Jays mother?" The Fae Queen was definitely interested, "What is she like?"

"Very young, very like her cousin in appearance, a little like her in spirit but not in character or determination. Lily would attract a fae certainly, but she wouldn't keep him." The High King replied candidly.

"Did you find out the identity of the boys' Father?"

"No, it seems that he didn't just use magic to hide his identity."

"So you managed to break the glamour?" Titania was slightly impressed, Oberon was not known for his finesse with delicate magic.

"Yes but it seems that whoever sired Jay also used a human drug, I believe it is called "Rohypnol", to cloud her mind. She was tested for this chemical by a doctor because she could not remember what happened. I cannot undo it's erasure of her memory." He sounded weary, talk of mortal technology always made him unhappy, it reminded him that the fae could no longer live above.

"Did you find out nothing new?"

"He had dark hair and the same blue eyes as his son, anything further was clouded by the drug."

"That doesn't help narrow the field too much." The fae were as varied as mortals in physical characteristics, the only overruling feature was that all the fae were physically attractive.

The married couple sat on their respective thrones in silence for some time before Oberon once again initiated conversation. "Are you going to try and help my son win back the affections of Sarah Williams?" Jareth would not be content till he had obtained the mortals forgiveness and love. Oberon didn't want to watch his son pine for a mortal only to lose her to time.

Titania though carefully about her intentions in the situation, "He needs to grow up first, and Sarah needs to heal." It was her time to sigh deeply, "She loved him so deeply and all he has ever done is try and hurt her."

"Then for both their sakes we must hope that he can change."

* * *

Sarah tried to behave normally when her Father arrived that evening but he could see that his daughter was not quite herself, she seemed quieter and more reserved than usual and there were definitely dark circles under her eyes. He saw that what ever the problem was his wife already knew, but with his children in the room he couldn't ask. Toby seemed his usual self, happy to have his sister home and to see his nephew again.

When Sarah took Toby upstairs to help him finish her homework Robert Williams saw his chance to ask Karen what was going on.

"She finally got her heart broken." Was the only response he could get out of her.

He listened at the door a few hours later as Sarah told Toby a bedtime story, he was always amazed at his daughters imagination and the level of detail she could put into her stories. She was so unlike her mother Linda, who could make you believe any part that was scripted and dictated to her but was very shallow and devoid of inspiration for stories when it came to her child. Sarah could make a listener believe, if only for a short while, that her creations were true.

When Toby dropped off halfway through a story she stopped and just watched him for a while why she cradled her own son in her arms. Robert had been surprised when Sarah had announced her intention to adopt. He had blamed himself for his daughters inability to for a stable relationship with a man. The divorce and his remarriage had been hard on Sarah. She was a good mother though, Jay would never want for anything, but he was happy that she still seemed to have a special bond with Toby.

He waited till Sarah had left his sons' room to talk with her. "Sarah can we have a talk."

"Sure Dad." She replied closing the door, an imitation of her usual smile on he face.

"Are you OK, hun, you don't seem yourself?"

"I'm fine Dad, I just had a bit of man trouble and needed to come home for a little while." Sarah used all her acting abilities to try and convince him of that fact.

"Well, just as long as you're fine." He said, accepting her answer with more than a few misgivings.

* * *

A week later the circles had finally faded from underneath her eyes and she was behaving more like her normal self. Karen and her father could still see the pain behind her fa ade, even Toby noticed that she wasn't back to normal, he'd mentioned it to Hoggle one day after he'd sneaked into Sarah's bedroom while she was out with Jay.

She hadn't mentioned when she was going to leave again though, mostly because she wasn't sure, Sarah didn't want to think about going back to New York to her empty, lonely apartment. Only since Jareth's reappearance had she realized how lonely it was, just her and Jay, there had never been anyone else. She couldn't help but feel increasingly stupid for ever holding out hopes that Jareth would have filled the void in her life.

Sarah felt safe in her childhood home, she wasn't lonely there, her Dad, Karen and Toby were there. Jay was meant to have helped with the loneliness, and he did but Sarah still longed to have a Man in her heart, in her life, to share the responsibilities of raising a child and, if she was going for broke, sharing her bed.

* * *

Hoggle had helped Sir Didymus clean out his house when the bog had finally returned to it's usual level, of course he had complained the entire time about the foul smell. Ludo had gone back to his forest.

The Dwarf was encouraged by Toby's reports that Sarah was getting better and his talks with Sarah had let him see with his own eyes but he could feel that something was still wrong. Jareth was still being moody, more temperamental than he used to be with the goblins, but at least he'd cheered up enough for the rain to stop.

Not entirely unsurprised Hoggle found the Goblin King waiting in a secluded corner of the path through the Labyrinth that led from his own humble cottage to the bog.

"Hello Hedwart." Was Jareth's haughty greeting as he stepped out of the shadows.

"Your Majesty, to what do I owe the pleasure." Hoggle resisted the impulse to correct the King about his name.

"I know you've talked to Sarah."

The dwarf kept silent, he could see there was going to be no playful banter on the part of the Goblin King this time, he had a big instinct for self preservation.

"I'll take your silence to mean that you have spoken to her. Did she seem well?" Jareth tried to sound nonchalant.

"She seemed tired, and in pain, but her and the babe are fine." He answered truthfully.

"Well Hogwart, I expect you to tell me if anything changes next time you talk to her."

Hoggle felt belligerent enough to say, "It's Hoggle and why should I?"

The Goblin King grabbed Hoggle's neck and squeezed slightly. "Because I'm asking nicely and you won't like it if I have to ask any other way." Hoggle could hear the thinly veiled anger through the clipped British accent.

"Right, I'll tell you. Promise," The coward in Hoggle responded and the grip around his throat was released.

"Good." And with that the Goblin king disappeared.

Hoggle breathed a sigh of relief and ran the rest of the way to his home.


	16. Chapter 16

Here's the next chapter, I hope you enjoy it.

Thanks go out to all those who reviewed it.

I think this chapter should definitely get the action going again.

Please feel free to give me feedback, it helps give me the impetus to write chapters faster.

Chapter 16

It was another week before Sarah returned to her own apartment in New York, and one after that before she started working again. Murray, her agent who was grateful for the return of his biggest client, was able to get something immediately. The job was only a few episodes of some cop show or other, a recurring role for a few episodes, but it felt good to be busy again.

There was only one problem and it started at the end of the third week after she returned to New York. It was her first day off in two weeks and she intended to spend it with her son, having had to leave him with a nanny while she had worked. She woke up to Jays morning cries for breakfast as usual but while she was feeding him she felt the wave of nausea,

After Jay had finished his breakfast, and been replaced in his cot, Sarah had to run to the Bathroom. She emptied her stomach into the toilet bowl and then waited for the feeling of nausea to subside.

She didn't really think much about it and once she was feeling better she simply went through the day with her son as planned. It was the next morning that the cogs started turning in her mind. When on the third day the same thing happened she finally made a doctors appointment, he took blood to send off for testing. A few days later she was called back for the results

Sitting in the waiting room Sarah started to feel really nervous. When her name was called she almost jumped and she felt herself shivering as she walked into the Doctors office. She sat down in the chair that he indicated.

"How are you feeling?" The grey haired, portly gentleman on the other side of the desk asked politely.

"OK, really not looking forward to those test results."

"Well as you may have already guessed the test was positive, congratulations you're pregnant."

Sarah looked far from happy at this news. She felt her stomach drop like a stone and the desire to be sick rise in its place.

"I know that this may be a hard question, Miss Williams, but do you know who the father is?"

"Yes, I know who the father is." Sarah responded as if she'd been given a cancer diagnosis.

"Are you sure?"

"Unfortunately."

* * *

Titania woke in the night knowing instinctively that something was wrong. It took a little bit longer to work out why. The uneasy feeling continued while she sent out her magic to locate what ever was causing the emotion.

She was surprised when her magic found who had interrupted her sleep. With a wave of her had she was fully dressed and transported once again to the New York apartment of Sarah Williams.

"I thought we had gotten over the hysterical crying stage?" She muttered as she approached the weeping woman.

Sarah was crouched by the crib that held her sleeping son.

"Sarah what has happened?"

The mortal woman turned her tear stained face towards the High Queen, "I'm pregnant. Congratulations your going to be a grandmother."

Titania was unsure whether she was happy or sad. None of her children had produced heirs yet and she was happy at the prospect of a grandchild even if Jareth wasn't her natural child he was family. On the other hand her heart went out to Sarah, this was not the outcome she needed to help her get over Jareth.

"Sarah I am so sorry."

"I don't need pity, your Majesty." she said wiping away the last of her tears. "I know you are probably trying to hide your happiness, the Fae value children because they have huge fertility problems." her voice was hard.

The High Queen chose to stay silent.

"You can go inform the Goblin King that he's going to be a Father." The now angry young woman spoke suddenly

"You want to see Jareth?" The redhead was more than just slightly stunned. She thought that Sarah would refuse to let her Step-Son know.

"No, I don't want to see that jealous, arrogant bastard, I want to make him suffer. He isn't allowed anywhere near me or my family, and that will include his own child."

* * *

Titania had tried to reason with Sarah make her change her mind but the young mortal was adamant that she did not want to see Jareth. The Fae Queen had pleaded that if Sarah wished to raise the child alone then the least she could so could do was not to tell the father at all, but it seemed that any amount of discussion was not going to convince the still grieving women.

On returning to Avalon the High Queen sought out her husband to ask for his advice. Sarah had made her promise to tell Jareth about the pregnancy, despite her personal views on the subject the Queen was going to have to inform Jareth. All Titania could think about was the damage that it would do to both parties to pursue this path.

"Is the girl safe and well?" The High King asked when he noticed his wife hovering outside the door to his personal study.

"Safe, yes, but I would not really class her as well in mind. There is another problem." She responded.

"Well are you going to come in and tell me about it?"

Titania gratefully sank into the armchair opposite his own but didn't know where to start.

"I haven't seen you look like that since I told you I wanted to bring Jareth to here with us in Avalon."

"I think that this situation may be worse." She had to pause before she continued, "Sarah Williams is pregnant."

Oberon's jaw dropped in surprise but then the corners of his mouth started to rise. "I shall have to go congratulate my son."

"This may not be a happy situation for him."

"How is the fact that one of my sons finally sired an heir a terrible thing?

"Because Sarah wishes to raise him in the mortal realm without Jareth's assistance."

Oberon looked aghast, "She wants to keep the child a secret?"

"No, she wants me to pass on the message and then remind him that he is not allowed to interfere in her or her family's life."

She could see the colour rising in Oberon's cheeks. "She wants to taunt my son, and raise my grandchild without allowing him his birthright?" The rage was barely contained in his voice.

"Yes and there is very little you or I can do about it."

"I am Oberon, High King of the Fae, there is a great deal I could do about it."

"Husband what do you intend to try and do? Your magic will be useless and hers is a completely unknown quantity. You have met Sarah, her will is a strong as yours, she will not change her mind."

"No what I intend to do, woman, is to talk to my idiot son and make him go beg for that girls forgiveness. This is not the time for him be arrogant or act like a petulant babe, my grandchild's future is at stake." Without any further word he vanished from the room.

Titania sat in silence for a moment, mulling over the conversation. She had hoped that Oberon would have chosen to be more level headed. She should have known better really. With a short sigh she followed her husband to the Labyrinth.

* * *

The small group of goblins that had taken it upon themselves to follow and look after their "Lady" Sarah were now very confused. To them children were a reason to be happy but somehow, the almost back to normal, Sarah was now crying again. The goblins, unsure of what to do, debated the problem amongst themselves, without much success really.

"We could throw Lady a party." One said

"You silly and forget the time you threw party for Kingy." A second reminded him.

"He wasn't that angry I landed on the bank not in bog itself." The first replied slightly offended.

"Lady not used to Goblin parties she might not take it right way." The third chimed in.

"Why don't we just take her back to Kingy? She was happier before she came back above." The forth suggested for the umpteenth time.

The second goblin sighed, "You haven't been using ears. Lady not happy with Kingy. She'll throw us in the bog for sure."

* * *

When she arrived in the Throne room of the Castle beyond the Goblin City Titania found that her husband had already begun his tirade of abuse at the Goblin King.

"Oberon!" She called out to silence him. "Your anger will not improve the situation."

"Fine then. You explain to him what an idiot he has been, the large mess he has made and that he needs to fix it."

"Yes Step-Mother please explain. What is it I've done now?"

"I had to visit Sarah Williams today."

"I haven't contacted Sarah since she wished me out of her life, for the second time." The Goblin King seemed irritated by his parents intrusion.

"And that particular ban still stands, however the damage was already done."

"In what way?" Jareth's face began to show his concern. "Is Sarah alright? You promised me she was safe!" If his Father was getting involved then something was very seriously wrong.

"She is safe. The problem is that she is pregnant, that is what we are here to tell you."

"Why didn't she call me directly? I know she can, I gave her that power." Jareth continued to be concerned and could feel that something bad was still coming.

"She doesn't wish to see you."

"Why wouldn't she want to see me? She is carrying my child now surely that changes everything."

"Yes it gives her yet another reminder of what you did to her." Oberon chimed in and received a harsh look from his wife for doing so.

"But a child changes things!" The Goblin King insisted, rising from his throne for the first time and beginning to pace.

"Yes, a child changes things. One changed you from a devoted lover to a jealous monster!" Titania retorted.

Jareth kept silence not wishing to admit the validity of his Step-Mother's statement or argue pointlessly against it. He simply continued to pace.

The next to speak was Oberon, finally making a connection with something that his son had mentioned. "You gave a human magic?" He sounded shocked and was staring at his son.

"I gave Sarah the power to call me, she hasn't ever done so, that is why I had to take her brother. In the end it was the only way I could see to obtain her."

"Are you sure that is the only power you gave her?" His father recovered enough to ask.

"Yes, why?"

"Because she certainly has more than that now." Titania responded before her husband could. She was looking out of one of the throne room's windows.


	17. Chapter 17

This fic is getting sooo long now I keep having to reread chapters to limit my continuity errors.

Here's the next chapter, hopefully I'm winding everything up to the big finale now.

Thank you all those who reviewed please feel free to do so again.

I hope you all enjoy this installment, I'll get the next one out ASAP.

Chapter 17

"What are you staring at, Titania?" Oberon joined his wife at the window overlooking the Labyrinth.

"That storm about to engulf the Labyrinth." Outside the window converging on all sides was a wall of black cloud, the lightning brewing in the storm front.

"Control yourself son." Oberon ordered.

"Jareth is not causing this." His wife countered. "This is the girls magic."

The Goblin King joined his parents by the window. "This cannot be Sarah. She wouldn't have the power for this."

"She beat the Labyrinth, she beat you, that gives her the power and now she is royally pissed off." Titania dropped the pretence of grandeur, a sure sign that she was scared.

"What do I do? I can't stop the storm." Jareth's face took on a paler than usual cast. "It could destroy the Labyrinth!"

"One of us needs to go convince Sarah to back down. She may not even know she is doing this."

* * *

Hoggle had seen the seen the storm before it got to the walls of the Labyrinth. He'd almost wet himself when he realized how big the storm would be by the time it reached the castle, which is where he started to run to.

The rain had begun by the time he reached the Bog of Eternal Stench. It was hard to convince Sir Didymus that he had to run away from the storm. Thankfully Ludo wasn't to far away and was willing to follow Hoggle, Sir Didymus and Ambrosias. Using the short cuts the made it to the city in record time along with almost every other Labyrinth denizen.

* * *

Jareth couldn't believe what he was seeing. The storm was at hurricane proportions now. He could see his subjects gathering at the castle gates looking for his protection.

"We don't have much time, that storm is almost at the city walls." He tore his eyes away from the window to look back at his Father and Step-Mother, they were still arguing about who should go to Sarah. "Both of you go! There is nothing you can do here now!" He shouted at them. They looked at the Goblin King briefly before disappearing together.

Jareth shouted to get the attention of his guards they appeared thirty seconds later. "Open the castle gates, get everyone inside." He ordered, hoping that the love of his life would not be the one to tear his home to the ground.

* * *

Sarah had been unable to contain her anger since Titania left. She didn't know where it was coming from but she had no way to let it out. It was all directed towards the Goblin King and she wasn't far enough gone in her rage to lash out at anyone else.

Then she felt the anger draining slightly, it was not longer pent up, but there was always more to replace it. Somehow Sarah knew that she was focusing it into doing something but she didn't know what and it was becoming hard to think straight enough to try.

She felt the presence of the Fae before she saw him. She stalked through the apartment into the bedroom finding an unknown male leaning over her sons crib.

"Step away from my son." She announced in a low tone, trying to keep her voice level, her anger barely contained.

The male straightened and turned to face the enraged woman. "I think that you will find he is _my_ son, thank you so much for watching over him for me."

The man had black hair and blue eyes, like Jay, but the features of his face seemed familiar too, even though they didn't match the child he was claiming as his own. He was tall and strikingly handsome but his face was normal looking , unlike Jareth's. Sarah took in a deep breath through her nose, smelling the cinnamon, cloves and just a hint of ginger of his scent from across the room. She felt the rage boiling up inside of her.

"I'm here to claim him," the man continued, "Don't worry, you won't remember him, neither will anyone else."

"So you are the bastard who knocked up my 17 year old cousin and then abandoned her?" Sarah managed to stay calm

"Well I couldn't take her home to meet my parents." The man retorted.

"And you think that you are going to just take Jay, erase my memory, and disappear?"

"Yes." He replied with an all too familiar smirk on his face, "Why do you see a flaw in my plan?"

"Do you know who I am?" The tone was threatening.

"Sarah Williams, actress, single, lonely." He listed toying with her. "Did I miss something?"

Sarah felt something inside her snap and a cool detachment came over her. "Quite a few things actually. You forgot Champion of the Labyrinth and carrying the Goblin Kings child. Most importantly," She paused and the intruder flew across the room and found himself pinned to the wall by some unseen force, "you forgot really pissed off."

The man's face, having grown paler throughout Sarah's speech, was now paper white. When he finally tried to respond he stuttered, "Y-your_ the_ Sarah?"

"Glad you've finally worked it out, now I didn't catch your name."

"Eric, my name is Eric."

Sarah could have laughed out loud when she worked out exactly where she had heard that name before. "Eric. Son of High King Oberon and Queen Titania of Avalon?"

"How did you know that?" The still immobile man looked terrified.

"I've met your mother, she's a nice woman, soft spot for children." She commented rather maliciously before continuing, "Why didn't you just take Lily back to the Underground?"

"Because I didn't think my wife would approve, besides, all I wanted was the child. The girl was a means to an end" He answered as quickly as possible

"From what I can tell Fae wives have to put up with quite a bit." She paused trying to think through the haze of anger, "You wanted a child, so you just seduced the first mortal you came across?"

Eric remained silent.

"Why wait so long to come back for him?" She demanded to know.

"I couldn't_ find_ him." He admitted. "I'd used magic on the mother that should have meant she'd keep the child."

"Women in my family tend to be strong minded." Sarah had to close her eyes for a moment to try and think.

"What are you going to do to me?" He asked terrified of the answer.

"Nothing." she opened her eyes, "I was going to let your parents handle it. They're standing in the hallway and have been for sometime."

* * *

The High King and Queen had been shocked to hear the sound of their mutual son from inside Sarah's apartment and had watched in awe as Sarah pinned him to wall without breaking a sweat. They shared the same thought, a mortal should not have that kind of power, Sarah was more dangerous than they expected.

When Sarah announced their arrival, without having once looked in that direction, for the first time in a millennia Titania felt afraid for her safety. She entered the mortals bedroom a few steps behind her husband fully aware that they had to calm Sarah down quickly.

Titania was the first to speak. "Sarah you can release him, he isn't going anywhere." She suggested.

Sarah gave some thought to ignoring the High Queen but allowed Eric his freedom.

"Eric how could you do this?" Oberon asked, his voice showing the disappointment he felt.

"Thalia wanted a child, Jareth hates me, he was never going to give me one of the wished away. I took matters into my own hands." Eric didn't sound repentant.

"You thought you could just steal a mortal child?"

"He is _my son_." He thumped a hand against his chest to emphasis the point.

"No you never had any claim on that child." Oberon looked disgusted with his offspring.

"Oh yes you're one to speak. Just how many Bastard children do _you_ have Father?" His tone was petulant

"I provided for each and every one." The High King justified himself. " You simply left the mother to get on with it on her own, with no support, and you wonder why Jareth would not give you a child."

"You don't deserve one." Sarah added.

Obviously feeling more comfortable now his parents were there Eric couldn't help himself in spouting out one more insult at the pregnant woman. "And you do? A mortal slut who refused a King, a King who would have laid the world at her feet?"

Titania shared a worried look with her husband, she could now feel the emotions coming off Sarah in waves. Who knew what damage Sarah's storm would be doing to the Labyrinth now.


	18. Chapter 18

I'm so sorry that it took so long to get this chapter out and it's so short, I've been settling back into uni life.

Hope you enjoy it I promise the next instalment should be finished soon.

We are in the home stretch now!

Enjoy please feel free to review.

Chapter 18

The Castle beyond the Goblin City was full to the rafters with the Labyrinths subjects and the Goblin King had left his throne room, unable to take the terrified stares of his people, taking refuge in his bedchamber. The storm was just about to reach the castle and the Goblin King could only hope that his parents could calm Sarah down.

Jareth could still only barely understand how Sarah could have obtained this much magic and apparently it wasn't just over his Labyrinth. He knew it wasn't to do with the powers that he had misguidedly gifted a 15-year old, albeit stunningly beautiful, girl-child.

* * *

Obviously feeling more comfortable now his parents were there Eric couldn't help himself in spouting one more insult at the pregnant Sarah. "And you do? A mortal slut who refused a King, a King who would have laid the world at her feet?"

Sarah felt the anger rising again. "What did you just call me?"

"A mortal slut." He seemed to relish the insult

"Eric, I wouldn't..." His mother tried to warn him.

"Mother!" He silenced Titania. "This is between me and Jareth's whore! Yes that means you Sarah Williams, still an oblivious child who thinks she can throw her weight around with fae royalty and always win."

"Why is it that neither of your sons know how to treat women, King Oberon?" She address the High King directly for the first time, trying to divert her own attention. Sarah was still just about managing to hold in her fury, unsure of what she was now capable of.

"Don't you dare insult my family, bitch." Eric spat, still not taking Titania's less thansubtle hints to stop.

Sarah couldn't hold it in any longer, and Eric slammed against a wall again. "I really would try to avoid angering me further, you arrogant pig. I would call you a son of a bitch but I happen to respect and like your mother." This time she had cut off the air supply to his lungs, very soon Eric was turning blue in the face. "Your majesties, I suggest that you take that odious sack of shit out of my sight before I kill him." She said not taking her eyes off the Fae prince.

With her back turned Sarah didn't notice The High King sneaking up behind her, pulling off one of his leather gloves, he lightly touched the back of her neck with his bare hand and she collapsed on the floor. Eric, who had been turning a nice shade of blue, was released from the mortals hold and fell to the floor gasping.

"Well that could have gone better." Titania said sharing a look with her husband.

* * *

Jareth had been staring at the oncoming storm from the bedchamber's balcony for so long he almost didn't notice it vanish without a trace. It was the cheer that went up from the throne room below that alerted him, rousing him from the dire thoughts that had momentarily distracted him.

"That was far too easy." He said to himself. "A storm like that can't just vanish, even in the Labyrinth. If Sarah had something to do with this it wouldn't be natural for her to cool off that quick. Something has gone wrong." The Goblin King left his jubilant subjects and transported himself to his parents, more worried than ever about Sarah.

* * *

"I had to do something." Oberon tried to justify his actions, "She was starting to realize the extent of her powers, or even that there might not be a limit at all."

"Yes but did you have to knock her out?" His wife was annoyed now at every male member of her immediate family. "We needed her calm, not unconscious!" Titania berated.

"Well talking with her didn't seem to be having the correct impact." He responded.

"Who cares," The now recovered, but still terminally stupid Eric, moaned, "she needs to be locked up for what she did to me!" He was sitting on the sofa cradling his head in his hands, elbows on his knees.

It was that moment that Jareth appeared in his usual shower of glitter. He took one look at Sarah, where she still lay on the carpet, and rushed over to kneel beside her, gathering her prone form in his arms. "What the hell happened?" He demanded to know.

Eric was the first to respond. "Your girlfriend tried to kill me!" He whined.

"Only after you tried to take Jay." Titania reminded him, the child in question held safely in her arms.

"He is my son, I have the right to take him." He was still adamant on that point.

Oberon interrupted with, "Shut up Eric!"

Jareth was slightly confused but his anger was mounting. "_You_ are that child's father?" At the cocky, proud look on his half-brothers face Jareth lost any trace of sympathy he might have felt for a man on the receiving end of what Sarah Williams could dole out. "Then Sarah had the right to punish you for what you did. Do you have any idea what she went through for that boy? What I did to her because of it?" He took a deep breath and directed his next comment at the High Queen, "You'll be glad to know the storm is gone for now." He managed to get out between his clenched teeth.

"But it might return when Sarah wakes up." Titania responded, "What are we going to do?" She asked to the room in general, not expecting an answer.

"What happened here?" Jareth repeated his question, staring down into the sleeping, tired face of the woman he loved.

Titania filled in the blanks in the Goblin Kings knowledge. She watched his face, worried at the shade of red her usually pale step-son was turning. "What I don't understand is how she could have so much magic? I could rationalise her effect on the Labyrinth, but the mortal realm?" She finished.

"I know why." Jareth answered after taking a few deep breaths. "I think I finally started using my brain when I was looking at that storm." His eyes finally left Sarah's face.

"You gave her this power!" Oberon accused, already aggravated with the steadily worsening situation.

"No I didn't, but I will deal with it." The Goblin King promised his Father.

Oberon curtly nodded in agreement

Eric chose that moment to have a tantrum more suited to a five year old. He stood and stalked over to where Jareth still held the human woman."Well isn't that nice, your mortal whore gets what she wants, you get things your own way per the staus quo, _I_ somehow lose the rights to take my_ own_ child _and_ get told off by everyone as per, bloody, usual!"

"Eric you may be unfaithful to your wife but Sarah waited nine years for me." Jareth explained with a patience that he did not feel. "You have no grounds on which to insult the woman I love and bearer of my child!"

"A woman who twice refused you? Spare me from your self-serving indignation. All mortal women are whores, eager to bed any good looking man in an attempt to get themselves off." The arrogant idiot spouted.

To spare himself any further dealings with his half-brother Jareth conjured a crystal to imprison the irate, immature Prince. Eric was left pounding on the inside of a bubble of magic that took up an entire corner of Sarah's bedroom.

"Father if you could take Eric back to Avalon, I need Queen Titania to take Sarah and the child back to the Labyrinth." The Goblin King asked as politely as he could given the current state of his emotions.

"Can't you take them yourself?" Titania would rather go somewhere private to lecture her biological son than face Sarah and Jareth's relationship problems.

"No, I have no power over either of them." He admitted. "I think that has always been the problem." He continued almost to himself, his eyes returning to Sarah.


	19. Chapter 19

Sorry this one took a while. Hopefully the next one will follow soon.

Thank yous go out to all those who reviewed please feel free to do so again.

Enjoy.

Chapter 19

Sarah woke up with with her head on fire. As far as she could tell, she was on a bed. Lifting her eyelids took a great deal of effort but it was a waste as her vision was too blurry to focus on the decor of the room itself.

"Hello?" She managed to get out. "Is anyone there?"

"Don't worry Sarah," a familiar female voice reassured, "You're safe I promise."

"What happened?" She asked. "My head is splitting."

"Err," The female voice hesitated, "What is the last thing you remember?"

"Being angry at Jareth, but I can't remember the reason why." Sarah tried to focus on the vague red headed blur leaning over her. "Titania is that you?"

"Yes child, it is I. What else do you remember Sarah, before the anger? It is important."

"We were talking in the nursery and then I think I fell asleep with Jay in my arms. Oh crap is Jay alright?" Sarah tried to lift herself from the bed, only to lie back a brief moment later, groaning in pain, her head feeling ten times worse.

"Your son is perfectly safe Sarah, don't worry, just try to lie still. I'll be back in a few moments."

* * *

It had been over twenty-four hours since Sarah had been transported back to the Labyrinth. A very worried Goblin King had kept to his own chambers during that time refusing to eat or sleep. When Titania imparted the news that Sarah was finally awake but that there was a complication, he began pacing with worry again.

"What do you mean she can't remember?" He asked.

Titania responded, "The last thing she can recall is talking with me in the nursery, on the day that we met, over a month ago."

"Why would she forget everything that passed?" Jareth wasn't sure what to feel or do.

"That day changed her, changed her life forever, perhaps her mind returned to the last time she felt safe and normal. You should go talk to her before she remembers why she needs to be angry with you." Titania left her step-son to go back to the afflicted young woman.

It took Jareth another five minutes to work up the courage to go to Sarah.

* * *

The pounding in Sarah's head had abated slightly by the time that the High Queen reappeared, the blurry vision remained however. Titania, as far as Sarah could tell, had stationed herself on a chair by the bedside but she made no effort to resume their conversation.

She heard the door open again and someone enter, she thought she saw the halo of blond hair that belonged to the Goblin King. This was confirmed when he spoke, that voice could raise her from the dead. "Mother could you leave us alone for a little while, we have much to discuss."

"Jareth?" Sarah asked when she thought Titania was gone, "Is that you?"

"Yes." He answered simply moving the High Queens chair closer to the bed and taking a seat.

"Why do I feel I have to be angry with you?" She asked, her memory wasn't returning.

"We will discuss that in a little while. Mother said the last thing you remember was talking with her in the nursery?" He asked as gently as possible.

"Yeah and then falling asleep. Why is that such an important point?"

"Because it has been over six weeks since that day."

"What?" Sarah started to look panicked. She tried to rise from the bed and screamed when her head exploded in pain, folding into a foetal crouch.

Jareth climbed onto the bed and threaded one arm around Sarah's stomach and pulled her close, "Shh, Sarah you need to calm down." he whispered into her ear.

It took a while for Sarah to calm down again. "Why does my head hurt so much?" She asked still crying.

"Yesterday was a very bad day for you, it ended with you being knocked unconscious by my Father, and he is not known for his soft touch." Jareth took the opportunity to smooth back the lustrous wealth of hair off her face.

"Why would Oberon need to do that?" She asked when she got over the distraction of Jareth's hand running over her scalp.

"I think that explanation should wait until you feel whole again." Jareth started to move away.

Sarah grabbed the arms that were letting go, pulling the gloved hands back around herself. "Stay. Please?" She pleaded.

Jareth, inwardly berating himself for not having enough strength to continue pulling away, resettled his arms around the woman he loved. He stayed until she had drifted back into a deep sleep. After careful extrication he left Sarah's room.

Titania had been pacing in the corridor outside. "Did you tell her?" the High Queen asked anxiously.

"No. She's not ready to hear it, anything that upsets her triggers a migraine." Jareth explained, "What did Father manage to do to her?"

"This might be a backlash from overextending her magic"

"I don't see how. She had enough to overpower Eric and keep the storm in the Labyrinth going."

"But she isn't used to having power like that and she's human. They haven't had magic of their own in over a millennium and, much as I hate the concept, evolution does occur. Mortals don't need magic any more, maybe her mind can't cope with having it."

"But if I'm right she might have had this magic for nine years."

"Has she ever used it though?"

"She's never needed to." He admitted.

"Call for me if I'm needed. I need to go have words with Eric, before your father banishes him." She disappeared leaving Jareth with his thoughts.

* * *

Sir Didymus, Hoggle and Ludo had loitered in the Throne Room when all the other Labyrinth denizens had left. Hoggle had insisted that the others stay with him, the dwarf had insisted that something about the storm was wrong. He had no words to describe how he knew or what he knew but Jareth didn't have the emotional depth to create a storm that wild.

Then the rumour went though the goblins that "the Lady" was back in the castle, that she had arrived with her son, the Goblin King and the High Queen. "Why would they bring her back?" was the question going though Hoggle's head The small band waited patiently for news of Sarah.

* * *

When Jareth re-entered Sarah's room she was still sleeping, but it was anything but peaceful. She had uncurled and was tossing and turning, the bed covers tangled around her, her brow was furrowed and tears were being squeezed out between tightly closed eyelids. The Goblin King moved towards the troubled woman and retook his seat at the bedside. He removed a glove and took Sarah's hand in his own, he gently stroked along the knuckles with his thumb, relishing the feel of her soft skin. The motion seemed to quiet and sooth Sarah.

"I have loved you from the moment I first saw you, but I have made so many mistakes in trying to win you." He told the now peaceful woman.

* * *

Sometime later Sarah woke again. The pain was down to a dull ache and her vision was starting to clear. She knew someone was holding her hand, she gave the other hand an experimental squeeze and it was withdrawn immediately. She could just make out the features of Jareth's face in the rather gloomy room.

She coughed slightly to clear her throat before asking, "Is my son alright?"

"Jay is safe, you needn't worry."

"Are you going to tell me what happened now?"

"If you are feeling up to it."

Sarah nodded slowly.

Jareth came right out with the truth, "Yesterday you caused a storm that could have destroyed most of my labyrinth because you were angry with me. You also tried to kill my half-brother although I'm not entirely certain I mind, he is an unmitigated arse."

The Champion of the Labyrinth was dumbstruck by this statement it took her a moment or three to collect her thoughts. "That's impossible. Why would I do that? I love the Labyrinth, I don't even remember why I should be angry with you." There was a slight pause while her still impaired mind tried to process everything. "Besides," she said finally, having calmed down slightly, "I can't cause storms and why would I try to hurt your brother."

"You are angry because I did something terrible, something unforgivable. My idiot brother, on the other hand, he tried to take your son."

"Why would anyone, apart from you, want to take my son?" She managed to say.

"Eric claims that he is the father, and tried to assert that he had the right to take Jay."

"But I stopped him?"

"Yes, you pinned him against a wall and cut off his airway, without laying a finger on him." Jareth tried not to sound proud.

Sarah could feel her headache coming back, she rubbed her temples trying to remember. "How would any of that be possible?"

"Before I tell you how, there are a few things that need to be explained. A millennia ago, back when there was no iron to poison us, the fae lived above, we lived and loved among mortals. Naturally, even though it was forbidden, let us say a fair amount of fae blood entered the human gene pool. You have Celtic ancestry and with that comes a certain amount of fae inheritance."

"Is that why I have magic?" Sarah felt like a child asking what must sound like very banal questions.

"No but it helped."

"Then how could I do these things?"

"That is my fault." The Goblin King admitted.

Despite the slight blurriness she thought she saw Jareth wringing his hands and managed to take one of them in her own. "But what no one knew is that the king of the goblins had fallen in love with the girl, and he had given her certain powers?" She quoted.

"No these were not given by me. There was a reason I always demanded that you had to submit to me first and it was to prevent..." He couldn't find the right words.

'Fear me, love me, do as I say and I will be your slave.' Was the unspoken phrase that came her to mind. "What reason would that be?" Sarah prompted pulling Jareth's hand closer.

"The fae, we aren't emotional creatures, value is placed on detachment, falling in love is almost unknown. Magic and emotion are not a good mix. The fae aren't wired right for love, we are jealous and possessive, as you found out. The fae court is all about magic and influence, the more you have the further up the hierarchy you are."

"I don't quite follow."

"But sometimes the Old Ones, Gods who came before us to the Underground, they have the ability to bestow magic to those fae who are deserving. Those who have gained influence in the Underground through purity of spirit. It hasn't happened in over a millennium because they no longer find the fae worthy."

"No, still makes no sense to me." Sarah said, the pain returning.

"My problem has always been that I demanded to have influence over you. You had to submit to me so I could maintain my power and position. The reason you have powerful magic is that I love you, and the totally crazy, obsessive, immortal love I have for you, it gives you power over me."


	20. Chapter 20

**Ok I uploaded a longer chapter originally but I really didn't feel good about it so I've taken it down to continue working on it.**

**Thank yous to those who read the original chapter and reviewed but I realized from some of the comments that the chapter didn't fit.**

**The improved section will be published as Chapter 21.**

**Thank you.  
**

Sorry that this one took so long. I'm not sure I'm happy with it so there may be a re-write.

Hopefully drawing the story to a close now.

As always please tell me what you think, reviews please.

Enjoy :)

Chapter 20

Titania arrived at Avalon still in two minds about leaving Sarah and Jareth alone together, especially with Sarah's memories being absent, but she felt she may have left her return too late as it was. Contrary to her usual habit, before returning to her own chambers the High Queen sought Oberon out in his own. She found her husband in his private study, there was no sign of her son.

"So how is Jareth dealing with his problem?" He asked without looking up from his paperwork.

"Well enough." She answered from just inside the door way, before continuing, "Sarah seems unable to remember the past six weeks or so."

"How is that possible?" The High King asked finally looking up. "And don't go blaming me, all I did was put her to sleep."

"No, I'm not blaming you. That girl has been running on empty for too long, she was exausted."

"Isn't it better that she doesn't remember? Her and Jareth would have a second chance."

"But what happens when her memory returns?"

"Hopefully she'd be in too deep for it to be a problem." Oberon answered with his usual lack of finesse.

Titania couldn't help but let out a small laugh, "You've never met Sarah properly. She would raise hell no matter what and she now knows how to do a huge amount of damage. Besides Jareth will feel too guilty to stay silence."

"You must remember love that when I met her she'd pinned one of my son's against a wall. She has far too much power to be left roaming around the mortal realm."

"Sarah didn't need the magic until the fae interfered in her life a second time." Titania pointed out to her husband. "Perhaps she has just enough to deal with Jareth."

"Perhaps."

"Speaking of dealing with our sons, what have you decided to do with Eric?"

"I invited him to stay in the Dungeon and told him he wouldn't be released until he could tell me what he did that was wrong." Oberon seemed depressed at imparting this news.

"To which he replied?"

" 'I got caught. ' "

"What a fine pair of sons we managed to raise." The High Queen sank into a chair across from her husband.

"Jareth hasn't turned out too badly in the end."

"In the end? So far both have seen something they want and have simply tried to take it, not earn it and unless you've forgotten they both got mortal women pregnant, against their wishes."

"Jareth, at least, seems to have grown from the experience." Oberon tried valiantly to defend one of his sons.

"He fell in love with a mortal girl and tried to bribe her into returning his affections. I can't fault his choice in women but how could he act the way he did, Sarah having no knowledge of our ways?" Titania paused briefly, calming down before continuing, "You called me "love" earlier. You haven't called me that for an age."

"I was in love with you once, perhaps all this talk of our family is making me nostalgic." He said with true sincerity. "Don't you remember what I did to win you?"

"How could I forget? You convinced me to run away with you. The look on my fathers face when he finally caught us." Titania couldn't help but laugh only to sober up a moment later. "But our love didn't last."

"We didn't make it last."

"And a pure mortal I was not." The smile returned.

"No, you were fun though." His face bore a wicked grin that would have looked more at home on the Goblin King's.

"I still can be fun on occasion." Titania responded with a glint in her eye.


	21. Chapter 21

**OK for those who read the original Chapter 20 you need to go back and figure out where I cut it so I could rewrite the second half of the chapter, otherwise you will most likely be very confused. **

**I wasn't happy with the original at all. I think I posted it only because I felt guilty for not writing in so long. I had writers block and couldn't dig the characters out of the hole I had dug without compromising the story I had built. Of course as soon as I had posted it I had an epiphany and figured out how to move the story forward without selling out to happily ever after so conveniently. **

**So here is the re-write, I hope its more in character with the story.**

**Fingers crossed you all like this chapter, I promise that I'm trying to draw the story to a close, honest.**

**Reviews are very much appreciated.**

**Thanks for reading**.

Chapter 21

Sarah didn't know how to respond to the Goblin Kings declaration of love. She lay in silence trying to focus on the face in front of her. The hand she was holding seemed to have grown very cold.

"You love me?" She asked finally, felling slightly stupid at how the question sounded. She'd dreamt of Jareth saying those words for 9 years but something still felt wrong.

"Sarah Williams I will adore you until my last breath. You made a man out of the spoilt child I have been all my life." He kissed her hand before going on. "But spoilt child or not I did an unforgivable thing."

"I forgive you for taking Toby and Jay. I got back what was mine, I don't mind any more, not if you truly love me."

Jareth forced himself to continue, "You still don't remember, but I did something else, something I can't undo." He pulled his hand away, out of her grip and rose from his chair, unwilling or unable to go any further with his explanations.

"Jareth?" Sarah realised he was leaving and called out, "Please don't go!"

The Goblin King was determined that his willpower wouldn't fail him.

"Don't you dare leave me again!" Sarah tried to rise from the bed again only to be betrayed by her own limbs. Her legs felt so weak she was amazed they supported her weight.

Jareth forced himself to keep moving every instinct and feeling he had told him to run to the woman he loved. He'd made it to the door and was trying to turn the handle. Sarah half ran, half hobbled to catch up with him but ended up collapsing in his arms when she did.

"Don't you dare think that after telling me all that, that you can just run away!" She said firmly and then dragging his head down so his lips met her own.

Willpower melting away, Jareth responded with just as much passion. He carried Sarah back to the bed in long strides. He tried to place her back on the covers gently but for once his fae gracefulness failed him and he misjudged the distance, falling on to the bed on top of her.

Sarah's limbs felt no stiffness now. She still had her arms around Jareth's neck ensuring he couldn't escape. She felt no awkwardness as she pulled at his shirt, freeing it from his leather trousers. There was something very familiar about the feeling of Jareth's taut muscles under her exploring fingers, his spicy scent in her nose and mouth.

Jareth felt a familiar ache in the pit of his stomach and a stirring in his loins as Sarah carelessly ran her fingers over his skin. He forced himself to stay calm, to not rush her, to not scare her off, to not simply disappear to avoid the ruination of this fantasy a second time.

With minimal disruption of their kiss Sarah had managed to remove the Goblin Kings linen shirt completely exposing the pale smooth flesh beneath. But when she realized that Jareth had made no attempt to reciprocate the action she broke off the kiss.

When she looked up at him all the Goblin King could do was return a slightly guilty look of his own. He started to pull away further away but Sarah kept a firm grip.

"Jareth? What's the matter? Did I do something wrong?"

"Never." The Goblin King breathed, putting one hand on her upturned face. "You have never done anything wrong."

She just looked up at the beautiful man in confusion.

"I need you to remember what I did." He removed his hand and turned his head away.

"I told you to it's all a blank." She tried to catch his eye again but he refused to let her for a few moments. "Jareth if there's something I need to know just tell me, I'll find out one way or another."

"Sarah, you are with child," He looked deep into her eyes, "My child." He was searching for something in her gaze.

"You mean we... I can't remember that, not anything." Sarah could feel the headache coming back, "If we... Why can't I remember?"

"It wasn't exactly your idea." Jareth saw Sarah's eyes turn hard and her body stiffen beneath him.

"Did you use magic on me?" The memories of the peach induced dream and it's contents still plagued her.

"No and quite frankly magic would have been kinder. When you first came here, you beat me, you refused me and so I refused to watch you any longer, I planned to forget about you."

"But then you took Jay how does that figure into your plan to forget me."

"I could bear the separation no longer. For the first time in nine long years I had to see you but I saw Jay too and thought that you had given yourself to another."

Sarah tried to look away but Jareth's mismatched eyes had trapped her gaze.

"So to punish you I took him and again you beat me,"The Goblin King had to swallow to keep the bile from rising from his stomach. "I couldn't forgive you so I wasn't going to give you the chance to refuse me." He was rambling, still searching her eyes. "I drew you back into our shattered dream, we danced and you enchanted me." He smoothed the hair back from her face. Her eyes were still cold, distant. "I didn't know that you had waited for me and..."

"I mentioned Jay's parentage. I tried to tell you and you hit me." She put a hand to her cheek remembering the pain, fear creeping into her emerald eyes.

Jareth could not face that look, he rolled away from her finally, reaching for his shirt. "I deserve to rot in hell for that sin alone but there was worse to come."

Sarah tried to stop the memories from flooding back but it was like trying to hold back the tide. She knew what was coming but couldn't avoid it. "No stop! I don't want to remember!" She was trying to crawl away from him but the bed covers tripped her and she ended up sprawled across the bed.

"I didn't know... It never occurred to me that you were... I never thought... and then it was too late." He tried to take Sarah back into his arms but she was fighting tooth and nail. He could hear the storm clouds gathering outside once more. "Sarah you need to stay calm!"

"Why should I stay Fucking calm?" She snapped and Jareth felt himself hurled away. "You just took what you wanted, as always!"

His impact with the wall was very loud and not pleasant, he had his fae healing to thank for allowing him to rise from the floor so fast but even then it hurt. "I can't change what I did." He responded as his joints realigned.

She tried another blast but Jareth was prepared this time. Unfortunately for Sarah the attack rebounded off his shield and knocked Sarah off the bed. The Goblin King had to stop himself running over to make sure she was fine, that the baby was fine.

"You bastard!" Sarah picked herself up the stone floor.

"Sarah you need to calm down." Jareth repeated moving closer to the irate woman.

"Calm down! Is that all you can say? I waited nine years for you to show up and you do this to me! You seem to love making me feel crazy."

"You could've called out to me at any time and I would have been there in a heartbeat." Jareth replied calmly, too calmly for Sarah,

"Yes, you would have appeared in a cloud of glitter, to gloat, no doubt or talk a load of cryptic Fae bullshit." She sent another blast at the King having somehow figured out how to shield herself. "Why couldn't you have just asked me about Jay? I could have been happily married with a houseful of my own flesh and blood children! Why did I wait for you? Tell me that!"

Jareth staggered back a few steps as Sarah's attack broke through his defences. "I didn't want to know about Jay and that was a mistake." He apologized as he regained the ground he had lost.

"Why was I so stupid as to spend a decade dreaming about you?" She sent another barrage.

"Why couldn't I forget you?" He countered when he picked himself up off the floor.

"Why couldn't you come and explain your love for me after you took my virginity?"

"You banished me from your life." Jareth reminded her.

"And how is it that I'm in your castle now if you're not in my life! If you'd truly cared you would have tried anyway."

Jareth was only a few yards from his champion now. "I didn't know what to say or how to make this right."

"And letting me go seemed like a good idea?" There was an almost tangible field around her now. "That night you looked at me as if I was the most horrific thing you'd ever seen, like I disgusted you. I see that disgust in your eyes even now."

"You are still the most beautiful creature I have ever seen. I feel disgusted with myself not you."

"Am I supposed to feel sorry about that?"

Jareth finally managed to step through her shield but he had no answer for her.

"Your apologies mean nothing because I can't trust you!" Sarah forgot the magic and simply slapped the Goblin King. He anticipated the next blow and grabbed her wrist and then her other arm as it swung towards him. She was trapped in his arms and there were tears streaking down her cheeks. The mask of anger was cracking.

"I know that I have done nothing to deserve or win your trust and I can never apologise enough for what I did. All I can ask for is that you allow me to be a part of your life, part of the life of our child." He managed to place a hand on the stomach of the still struggling woman.

Her anger was ebbing away and she stopped fighting, she was sobbing now. "You idiot," Sarah whispered when she'd found some control, "All I ever wanted was you." She laid her head against his chest, tears still streaming down her face.

Jareth could only hold her as she cried, his only glad thought was that the sky outside the window had cleared.


	22. Chapter 22

OK I'm sorry that nothing much happens in this chapter and that it's a bit short but please don't hate me.

Thank Yous go out to all those who reviewed its encouraging to get them.

So enjoy chapter 22 the next one will be uploaded asap.

Cheers

Chapter 22

The servants court at Avalon was abuzz with the rumours that the frosty situation between the High King and Queen had thawed considerably. The rumour that Prince Eric was going to spend the foreseeable future in the dungeon was also doing the rounds but at a much lower volume. The rumour about the royal couple had made it to the ears of every noble and royal fae via those same servants within hours.

At court when Oberon and Titania appeared the others in attendance would have to be blind to miss the significant looks that the couple were giving each other. Not to mention the fact that their Queen kept bursting out into fits of giggles at whatever her husband was whispering in her ear, she hadn't done that in centuries.

* * *

Sarah woke alone, there was an empty but still warm space next to her. After the fight Sarah had felt too drained to even fight Jareth as he tucked her back into the bed. He'd joined her, holding her till she'd drifted off to sleep, not complaining Sarah felt safe in his arms, he'd obviously stayed the night.

* * *

When he'd felt Sarah stirring Jareth left, not ready to go another ten rounds with his mortal champion quite yet. Besides, he told himself, she would need to eat something when she rose. Magic was exhausting to beginners in the craft of the fae world and mortals had lost magic an eternity ago so who knew what it was doing to Sarah's metabolism.

He visited the nursery to check on the child that Sarah claimed as her own. The boy was asleep in his crib, the nurse watching over her charge as vigilantly as ever.

"All this trouble caused by such a beautiful little thing." He said, looking down at the small sleeping figure.

"Don't be blaming everything on the boy, your Majesty." The nurse said, not moving from her chair. The nurse had always spoken her mind to Jareth, she'd known him for longer than he'd reigned over the Goblin Kingdom.

"No it's mostly my fault, my pride." He said softly

"Will the boy be staying long?"

"No he will most likely be going home later today." Jareth told her.

"You haven't managed to convince our Lady to stay then."

He tried to keep his voice level, "Not yet."

"And your own babe?"

Jareth didn't even bother asking about how the woman knew of Sarah's pregnancy, she'd always had her mysterious ways. "I have a feeling the custody battle would destroy the Labyrinth if I tried to make her stay."

"I'll have the boy ready to leave when she is."

* * *

Sarah hadn't moved from the bed. She knew that very soon she was going to be confronted by a Goblin King who would want answers about the future of their relationship, whether they were going to have one for starters. Sarah didn't have any answers to give, she was too conflicted.

Jareth, why did the man have to be so infuriating? One moment she wanted to just collapse into his arms, never to leave them, and the next she was considering a well aimed kick to his "crown jewels". She had loved him for so long but what did she actually know about him. He was the Goblin King, Fae royalty, he took children, he had jealous streak a mile wide and an unpredictable temper. Then there was the things he did when he was near, the way he spoke her name like a caress, his smell was so intoxicating and the way his hands sent electric shocks through her. But what was his favourite food? How did he take his coffee? What was his childhood like? How did he become the Goblin King? The little things that mere mortals relied on knowing about their significant others.

Her assault still felt like a bad dream, slightly unreal but a constant nagging feeling at the back of her mind none the less. What would she tell her family if she did let Jareth back into her life? How to explain his presence when he certainly would never blend into the background? How to tell everyone she was pregnant? These were the thoughts that were circling around inside her head. The one that she kept pushing out of sight was "How much of a freak am I now?"

When Jareth finally reappeared a short while later Sarah was still trying to come to some sort of decision. He had a tray with him which he placed on the bed, it was piled high with food. Sarah was surprised he hadn't sent one of his servants instead.

"I didn't know what you would like, so I brought a little of everything." He said, if Sarah didn't know better she would have said that Jareth was nervous.

"Thank you," She responded, "But I'm not all that hungry."

"You need to eat something, I don't know when you last had a meal but magic uses up a lot of energy, if you don't eat you may become ill and..." The beautiful man had concern in his eyes as he perched on the edge of the bed.

"And that wouldn't be good for your baby?" Sarah said unable to keep the scorn out of her voice.

"Sarah please I don't want to fight with you." There was an arrogant edge creeping back into his voice. "It wouldn't be good for either of you."

"I'm not trying to... It's hard to erase the past... I need time." Sarah picked up a piece of bread and tried to eat despite feeling sick to her stomach.

"If you tell me when you wish to leave I will summon my mother and she'll take you home."

"Can't you take me back yourself?" Sarah didn't really wish to talk with Jareth's mother again quite yet.

"I'm still forbidden to interfere in your life remember." Jareth gave her a wistful smile.

"You... You can... I will allow you in my life but there has to be rules." She said carefully.

"Such as?" There was still the arrogance in his voice but Sarah could hear the eagerness as well, he had answered much too quickly.

"You have to learn how to use doors, no sudden appearances inside my apartment. You can use the doorbell when you want to see me."

"Acceptable, anything else?"

"When you do appear I need you to look and act as human as possible."

"Excuse me?" He seemed offended at the suggestion something was wrong with his appearance.

"I can explain a human ex-boyfriend who is a jerk, happened to get me pregnant and who is trying to reconcile with me. I can't explain a heart-wrenchingly beautiful Fae Prince who has magical powers and a hairstyle that's stuck in the 80's."

"Fine, although I can't promise I still won't attract notice." He was slightly miffed at her suggestion that there was something wrong with his hair.

"The most important rule is that if I tell you to leave or to send me home you have to do it, no trying to trap me ."

"You still don't trust me?"

"Those rules are just for starters." Sarah replied avoiding the question of trust. "There might have to be others later."

"I promise to follow any and all rules you decide on." He paused, looking slightly uncomfortable with what he had to say next. "However you wished me out of your life Sarah and I am bound by that, you have to wish me back into it."

Knowing that this might be the worst decision of her life or perhaps the best she thought about how to phrase her answer, "Then I guess I wish for you to be a part of my life." Without a pause she continued with, "I'm ready to get my son and go home now."

Jareth couldn't really blame her for wanting to escape but he hoped that she would stay a little longer. "Are you sure you don't want to eat first?"

"No I'll eat at home." She started to rise from the bed, grateful that, this time at least, she still had all her clothes on.

"May I call on you this evening?"

The question was unexpected and Sarah didn't really know what to say. "Um," she regretted the indecisiveness of that hesitation, "Not tonight Jareth... Saturday... I should be free on Saturday afternoon..." Not that she new what day it was today. "Is that OK?"

"Yes that would be..." Jareth wasn't sure how to finish the sentence.

"I'll see you then" She answered awkwardly.

"I'll see you Saturday." He promised creating a crystal sphere in his hand, letting it float towards Sarah, it burst when it touched her outstretched fingertips and she disappeared.


	23. Chapter 23

**I'm so so so so so sorry that I didn't update sooner I just had a huge case of Writers Block. I didn't know where I was going to take the story next and even when I'd figured that out I didn't know how to get it there. I worked on another Labyrinth Fanfic for a little while, hoping that it get me back in the mood to finish this one, I will begin posting it when I've finished this one hopefully.**

**Thank you all those who reviewed it is appreciated and please feel free to do so again.**

**So here is the next chapter I hope you enjoy, sorry not a great deal happens.**

**I promise the next chapter will follow in the not too distant future.**

**Please review, even if it's just to tell me I ve made some error in spelling or grammar.**

**Enjoy.**

Chapter 23

Sarah realised as she appeared in her apartment that refusing the food had been a mistake. Her morning sickness had returned and she had to run to the bathroom before she could check on Jay who she assumed had been replaced in his cot. She made a mental note to ask Titania next time she saw the High Queen whether the fae had a remedy for the malady.

When she'd finished empting her stomach into the toilet bowl and brushed her teeth she went to check on her son who, just as she thought, had reappeared in his crib still fast asleep. The next item on her agenda was to check what day it was, time in the underground rarely seemed to pass at the normal rate. According to the TV it was still Wednesday the same day she had pinned Eric against he bedroom wall, and despite what her stomach felt it was bedtime. She had two days to prepare herself for Jareth's visit. Only two days to fortify herself against the awkwardness his presence. She wasn't entirely sure how she would make it through small talk with the Goblin King, but for the sake of her unborn child she knew she would have to try.

It was just as much of a mine field to think about how she would tell her parents. Karen knew about how it had happened would she understand about Jareth remaining in her life. How would her Father take it? A man that he'd never met, that fairly obviously broke his daughter's heart, had knocked her up. Yes daddy will be a problem, Sarah thought to herself. She then had to laugh slightly as she thought about having to tell her agent Murray, he was gonna have kittens.

Sarah lay down on her bed, trying to will herself back to sleep despite having been awake for such a short period. She was now more confused than even about her feelings towards the Goblin King. When she had lost the memory of the last couple of months she had been ready to forgive him anything, to jump right back into their twisted, hot and heavy relationship. The feeling that she should didn't fade as fast as her memories had reinstated themselves. Feeling exhausted Sarah forced her mind to go blank, worrying could be tomorrows problem.

* * *

For Jareth the time until he could go and see Sarah was almost intolerable, having been so close to her again. Every time he had to let her go seemed harder than the last. Two days, he could wait two days, or at least that's what he told himself. He spent the first morning without Sarah in his throne room occasionally kicking goblins to vary his time but one morning was all he could stand doing nothing.

That afternoon he spent stalking through the Labyrinth, trying to lose himself in the turns and passageways but the maze would not cooperate with his wish to make time pass easily and the Goblin King found himself coming up against dead end after dead end.

"Even the Labyrinth don't like that you let her go." A familiar voice said from behind him.

"And who asked your opinion Hoghead?" The Goblin King asked still eyeing the stone wall in front of him.

"It's Hoggle." The dwarf muttered under his breath. "The Labyrinth don't like it when she leaves unhappy."

Whirling around to look at the aged face of his subject. "And just who do you mean by 'she'?"

"Sarah, she left unhappy again."

"Have you spoken with her?"

"No, not since she went back to the big city after she got better from her last trip." Hoggle sounded disappointed at that.

"Did she tell you..."

"What happened? Nah she didn't. She wouldn't tell me, seemed ashamed about the whole thing. Felt that she had done something wrong."

"Come now Hogsbreath, losing your head over a girl?" Jareth tried to imitate his usual demeanour.

"I ain't lost my head." He replied, "No more'n you anyway." He added quietly, moving away.

* * *

To Sarah Thursday passed with more ease than any day since her second trip to the Labyrinth. She didn't feel the struggle to rise like she usually did or the dread of spending the day alone with just her son for company. As much as she loved Jay he wasn't a good conversationalist or a good distraction from her own problems.

On Friday she managed to rise from her bed before her son woke. After empting the contents of her stomach, morning sickness was getting very old very fast, she went to check on her son. Standing over his crib she looked down at his perfect little face.

"Your uncle's coming to see me tomorrow." She spoke to the sleeping child. "Uncle Jareth, now isn't that a strange thought." Unconsciously she put a hand over her own stomach. "And your going to have a baby brother or sister, maybe even a father eventually."

"So you do intend to forgive my son, or do you have another man in mind?" The authoritarian tone of Oberon's voice was unmistakable.

"Your Majesty." Sarah acknowledged him but not his question. "Did you come to see me or your grandson?"

"Both perhaps." In truth in all the excitement he had forgotten the Jay was his grandchild. "May I hold him?"

"Sure." Sarah carefully lifted the sleeping babe form his crib. "I never asked for any of this." She seemed caught is some recollection or other, "It all started because I was a spoilt brat." She handed the toddler to his grandfather.

"My son was watching you long before you wished your brother away, I believe it started because he was a spoiled child. He saw you and he wanted you, he never thought of what you needed."

"But if I hadn't wished Toby away I wouldn't have had to..." She broke off, knowing she was rehashing old argument. "Surely as a King you understand the concept of duty over personal happiness."

"Yes I understand, my first priority is to my Kingdom what was yours?"

"I had a responsibility to my family. When I ran the Labyrinth I was trying to rectify the biggest mistake of my life and your son didn't make it easy. Did Jareth tell you what he said to me in that broken room?"

"He said he offered you everything you could ever want."

" 'I ask for so little.' he said, 'Just let me rule you, and you can have everything that you want. Just fear me, love me, do as I say, and I will be your slave.' " She quoted the words that had been imprinted on her memory for so long.

"My son always did have a flair for the dramatic."

"He said those words to a child who barely understood what he was offering and the part of me that did understand knew I couldn't trade Toby, nothing in the world is worth taking a child away from loving parents."

Oberon looked down at the sleeping boy in his arms, "Your childhood wasn't always happy was it?"

"My Mom left us, to pursue her dreams and a man who wasn't my father. Dad spoilt me rotten to make up for my mothers departure but that changed when he met Karen and then Toby arrived, he had less and less time for me. I couldn't understand why, I refused to believe he could just forget my Mom. After I came back from the Labyrinth I saw he didn't shut me out, I pushed him away."

"I can see why you couldn't accept your dreams at the cost of your family."

"Would he make a good father? A good husband if I could forgive him?" she asked trying to move the conversation along.

"Jareth adores children, it's one of the reasons I made him ruler of the Labyrinth."

"That isn't really an answer."

"Sarah Williams you have done something that no one has ever managed to do."

"Solving the Labyrinth wasn't that hard."

"No that isn't what I meant, you made my son grow up and act like the adult he should be. I am not condoning the actions that led to this change but you are a good influence on him."

"I'm not sure he's had such a good influence on me."

"What do you mean?"

"He made such an impression on a teenaged girl that she never had boyfriends or lovers, that she waited for him to come back into her life, that even now she's a woman she can't quite give up the feelings she has for him, despite what he did. It's not exactly healthy."

"My son loves you."

"And I love him but I'm not sure I can forget the past."

* * *

Jareth pretended he hadn't heard the dwarfs final comment and tried to restart his walk through the Labyrinth. His head was just beginning to clear when he came up against another dead end.

"I know you don't like the fact she's gone again. I don't like it that much myself." He said, talking to the ancient stones around him. "I promise I'm trying to get her back but I can't keep her here against her will, neither can you." He heard the walls shifting around him until he was boxed in. "And when she figures out how to move between the mists on her own? How will you stop her then?" Almost resentfully the walls rearranged themselves once more and Jareth found himself at an intersection of two paths.

"I'm not sure whether talking to yourself is that healthy son."

"Father, to what do I owe the pleasure." Jareth turned to face the High King. Oberon was holding a baby in his arms. "Is that who I think it is?"

"If you are referring to your nephew and hopefully your future step-son, yes this is little Jay." He took the boys hand in his own and made it wave at the Goblin King.

"Sarah let you take him?" Jareth's voice showed his incredulity.

"I asked whether I could spend some time with him, Sarah agreed, I thought she might like some time alone before your rendezvous tomorrow."

"Is she alright?" Jareth asked trying not to sound as nervous as he felt.

"Miss Williams is confused, she doesn't know what to think or do." His father answered honestly.

"But she is well?"

"I think she is suffering from morning sickness, apart from that she seems to be in good health."

"Morning sickness?" Jareth looked horrified

"Don't tell me that you need me to explain." Oberon was trying not to laugh.

The Goblin King quickly schooled his features. "I don't like the thought of Sarah being ill."

"She still loves you."

"But that isn't enough, not after what I've done."

"It's a start." Oberon insisted. "She needs you just as much as you need her."

"Do you intend on taking Jay back to Avalon with you?" He asked changing the subject.

"For a few hours at least."

"Be careful with him, he means a lot to her."

"Now I know he's family he means something to me too."

Knowing that his Father wouldn't understand he dropped the subject. "Say hello to your wife for me, and thank her again." Jareth said trying to dismiss his Father.

"Jareth don't let Sarah slip away." Oberon said as he slowly faded out.

The flag stones under the Goblin Kings feet added their opinion to that of the High Kings.

"Yes, Yes I already know what you think, now are you going to start behaving or do I have to start blasting through walls?"

* * *

By the time Oberon reappeared in Avalon Titania had already left her chambers and was walking in the rose gardens, she found her husband and grandchild waiting, seated under a rose covered pergola.

"I wondered where you'd escaped to." The High Queen commented as she approached, a wide smile on her face.

"I went to see both of them." He replied, jiggling Jay on his knee, causing the boy to gurgle happily.

"How are the unhappy couple?" The smile faded from her face as she sat down next to them.

"Unhappy. I found Jareth talking to the Labyrinth, and the mortal girl talking to her son."

"I told you both of them are lonely, stubborn, and frustrated, they are a good match."

Oberon chuckled. It was a low warm sound. "Frustrated?"

The smile returned to Titania's young face. "What is so funny about that?" When he gave no reply she moved on, "How long can we keep the little one?" she said taking one of the boys hands in her own.

"He must be back for his dinner."

"Have we time to present him to the court?"

"As what?" Oberon was reluctant to share their time with the boy.

"Our grandchild." She replied as if it was a ridiculous question.

"And what do we say about his parentage? Thalia does not deserve to have Eric's failings aired in public. Also she may decide to formally claim the boy despite the fact we told Eric we would never allow him to and since the mother gave him up Sarah has no legal claim over him in this realm."

"I just want him to have what is due to him." Titania looked into the boy's blue eyes, so like his Father's.

"When Jareth and Sarah get their act together Jareth will be able to adopt the boy and there is nothing Thalia or Eric will be able to do."

"I don't like having to play favourites amongst our children."

"We are not choosing sides, my love, we are trying to rectify the mistakes they have made."

* * *

Sarah spent her day pampering herself in preparation for Jareth' visit. Usually when she wasn't working she didn't take a huge amount of care with her appearance but she felt compelled to try and look her best for a man who would always be young and gorgeous. She had her hair trimmed and styled, a full body massage, a manicure and a pedicure.

Returning to her apartment to wait for Oberon to return her son she felt so relaxed, ready to face the anything the faery realms could throw at her. It was in fact Titania who returned Jay promptly in time for his dinner, as promised, and stayed to help Sarah feed him. They talked about largely inconsequential topics, avoiding mentioning Jareth completely, and then Titania left.

Saturday morning was spent playing with her son and slowly getting ready for Jareth's appearance. She tried to make herself look as casual as possible while still looking feminine and, hopefully, attractive. She wore a knee length dark green wool dress with long sleeves and a cowl neckline that hugged her curves and showed just a hint of her decolletage. Her long hair was left down and fell in graceful lines.

It was a little after two when the phone rang.

She answered it with a slightly breathless, "Hello?"

"Miss Williams," The familiar voice of the doorman replied, "There's a gentleman asking for you. He says his name is Jareth G. King."

"Please show him on up."

"Yes Miss Williams."

Sarah heard the line go dead and she put the phone back on it's cradle. She walked calmly to the frontdoor pausing only to give herself a quick once over in the hall mirror. Two minutes later there was a knock on the door she slowly counted to ten before she reached for the lock. She couldn't repress a small shiver as she pulled the door open.

As expected on the other side stood the Goblin King he was holding a single rose. It was an old English variety in a soft peach colour. When she tore her eyes from the rose and fully took in the Goblin Kings altered appearance she had to gasp.


	24. Chapter 24

Yes I know I suck majorly for not updating sooner but unfortunately the real world intruded too much and I had no time or energy to write.

But summer's here now and my second year of uni is finished so I should be able to focus on finishing this story. I can't believe I started it almost a year ago.

Thank you's go out to all those who reveiwed and Please please do so again. Tell me what you think of the new chapter. Please tell me if it make sense and flows right, if it doesn't I'll take it down and fix it.

Also pray to my muse so she won't desert me again and that the plot bunnies don't attack me too much so I can finish this story soon and put our poor characters out of their misery.

Enjoy :)

**Chapter 24**

As expected on the other side of the door stood the Goblin King he was holding a single rose. It was an old English variety in a soft peach colour. When she tore her eyes from the rose and fully took in the Goblin Kings altered appearance she had to gasp.

His usually untamed blond mane of hair was pulled back neatly into a ponytail. His dangerously tight breeches were replaced with black slacks that, although looser than his usual trousers, still conspired to look tight. He wore a midnight blue silk shirt, unbuttoned to his mid-chest, his amulet gleaming against his pale skin, he had a black suit jacket slung over one shoulder. He was still wearing his traditional gloves. The biggest change was his face, the upswept eyebrows were gone replaced with regular looking elegantly arched ones, even if they were rather well groomed for a man's. His usual markings or make-up, she'd never figured out what it was, but somehow the lack these features made his mismatched eyes even more compelling.

Knowing that she'd probably been caught staring she managed to say, "Come in." stepping out of the way to let him past dropping her eyes to avoid his devouring gaze.

Jareth knew that Sarah had taken a taken a few moments more than necessary to invite him in but refrained from commenting. He'd gone to great lengths to satisfy her wish for him to appear ordinary, unfortunately a fae male would still look attractive wearing sackcloth and ashes. It stroked his ego to hear the slight hitch in her breathing when she saw him but felt a need to suppress his own. She looked delicious and her unique scent, spice and peaches, washed over him from the apartment, but he could see she hadn't fully recovered, her eyes were still not the bright defiant green of six weeks ago and the make-up she wore didn't quite fully hide the dark marks under them.

As he walked past her it took all of his self control not to just sweep Sarah into his arms and never let go, but he knew his mortal would not appreciate such an action. He knew she must have noticed the want in his eyes as she refused to meet them. If being away from Sarah for 9 years was intolerable and then being banished from her side for almost two months maddening, being in the same room as her but not allowed to touch or hold her was pure torture. However it was a punishment that he could never forgo, to be in Sarah's presence even under these circumstances gave him hope.

As Jareth came through the door all Sarah could think was "Come into my parlour, the fly said to the spider." Jareth was most definitely a predator and his presence always made Sarah feel like prey. The Goblin King paused uncertainly when he had crossed the threshold, waiting for an indication of where to go next. She led him into her living room.

"Make yourself at home." She said gesturing for him to take a seat. "Can I get you a drink?" She felt rather inane asking but Karen had forced Sarah to learn how to be a good hostess.

Jareth had taken a seat in one of the armchairs, somehow contriving to look very regal. He declined the drink.

"Umm," She cursed herself for that hesitation as she took a seat on the couch opposite him, "I've already had lunch and fed Jay, he's taking a nap at the moment. I was thinking that we could all go out for a walk in the park when he wakes up?" She asked uncertainly. "I've made dinner reservations for later and um your parents agreed to babysit for me, actually they insisted."

Jareth smiled and responded, "I would love to join you and your son for a walk."

"Your parents seem to enjoy watching Jay, more than Karen and Dad do even and they adore babysitting him."

"My Father and Step-Mother have been hassling me to marry and try for children for over a century. Now they've found they already have one to spoil and there's another on the way." He pulled an annoyed face. "In fact the day you returned to the Labyrinth that was why Titania was there to persuade me into taking a wife."

"I can't imaging anyone persuading the Goblin King to do anything against his will." Sarah replied laughter tingeing her voice. She was finally relaxing and it made Jareth feel a small amount of hope.

"Oh I think you could persuade me to do anything." He began in jest but the continued in a more serious tone, "You have to understand Sarah, the fae are not human, our world is not run the same way. It's several centuries behind this world in many ways. If the High King ordered me to wed I would have little choice." He said trying not to spoil the mood. "I am lucky that no amount inducement from him would get a woman to agree to such a marriage."_ and that my Father seems to like you._ He continued in his own mind

"I'd have thought you would have girls queuing out the door for the chance to become a your Queen." There was a strange feeling in the pit of her stomach when she mentioned Jareth and other women and a blush when she realized how the words could be taken, how she'd emphasised the words 'your Queen' and felt she had to try and cover so she tried humour. " Unless you dropped all of them into oubliettes as well."

Jareth pretended not to notice the blush but was secretly gratified and adored the reaction and he smiled at her attempt to be funny. "Sarah my "social life" shall we call it, has never been affected by my title or my position." He wanted to stop, to avoid the explanation that would follow but these were things that had to be understood by the woman he wished to marry. "It is not a stigma in the High court to have been a lover of King Jareth, son of Oberon, but what self respecting woman would want to be Queen of the Goblins, with only her husband for Fae companionship, for she would not try to befriend any of my subjects." It was obviously a sore point that his kingdom was not respected. "No runner before you even tried."

"I liked your subjects,"

To Jareth it sounded like she was saying ,'What those other women think doesn't matter,' and he loved her all the more for it.

"When they weren't trying to get in my way or give me poisoned peaches on your orders, although even then they did have certain adorable qualities." She said. "Does that mean I'm not self respecting?" She said it with a huge smile on her face.

"Are you trying to tease me, Sarah?"

"I wouldn't dream of it, your Majesty."

Feeling it was safer to go back to a previous topic than continue the one they were on Jareth said, "As to why my Parents love babysitting, most of the Fae count having a child as a blessing because it is so hard now for us to have them. The penalty for immortality seems to be decreased fertility, a problem that has increased since our divergence from the human realm. So all children are cherished, it is one of the reasons that the Fae hate the human race, not only were we evicted from this realm by the iron you refine and the toxins you pump into the atmosphere, but the worst sin of the human race in our eyes is the way you treat your children."

Sarah didn't have anything to say to that and dropped her gaze ashamed for what she was, what she did to Toby, wishing him away.

The Goblin King realized he had gone too far and quickly moved over to sit by his love, close but not touching. "Sarah you are not accountable for that."

"Jareth I wished Toby away, how am I not accountable?" She looked into his eyes and behind his concern she could still see it in his eyes, the disgust from her defilement at his hands, and it didn't help at that moment.

"You won him back Sarah, you paid your debt for a childish wish many times over."

She was almost glad when she heard Jay stirring in the other room. "I'll go get Jay ready for our walk." She escaped the room and Jareth made no attempts to stop her.

Ten minutes later she reappeared shrugging into a warm coat, the weather outside was still rather cold. "So are you ready to go?" She asked with a brittle smile on her face, Jareth could tell he'd almost blown it, again.

"Of course." He agreed and promised himself that for the rest of the day he would be a less serious conversationalist as he conjured a heavier jacket.

The silence lasted until they had reached the park.

"What is it like Jareth?" Sarah asked suddenly.

"Hmm?" He almost purred at her use of his name.

"Your kingdom, what is it like when spoilt little girls aren't traipsing through it, causing havoc?"

"Dull, there has been nothing but many years of unutterable tedium before you arrived and after you left."

"Many years? Jareth how old are you?" She asked not sure if she wanted to know the answer but there was so much she didn't know about him and what he had said in her living room showed just how much she didn't know about the world he was apart of.

The sudden question took The Goblin King by surprise as they followed a winding path, Sarah pushing her son in his pram with Jareth at her elbow aching to slip one arm around her waist. "Older than you." He said, trying to joke.

Sarah turned to look at his face. "I know that already," She replied with a more genuine smile, "I was hoping that you might be a little more specific."

"A lot older than you?" The remark earned him a nudge in the ribs from her elbow. He sighed. "Time isn't really something we keep track of underground, I have been the Goblin King since the time of Shakespeare if that helps."

"If you don't want to tell me exactly how old you are you could just say so." For some reason his avoidance was funny to Sarah, even with the daunting prospect of his being centuries older than her, there was now a true smile on her face and a hint of laughter in her voice. "Or is it that you don't want to admit just how much of a dirty old man you are for trying to ensnare a fifteen year old girl."

"Hey not so much of the old, in fae terms I am still a young man." He teased.

"So you admit to the dirty bit?" She laughed, a blush creeping up her face.

"No comment." Was all he could say. He knew she was teasing him but after what he had done to her he couldn't laugh at the remark.

After another few minutes of silence Sarah asked, "What's you sister like?"

"My sister? How ever did you know I have a sister?" The Goblin King was taken slightly of guard by the comment, apparently Sarah's thoughts followed impossible tangents.

"Titania told me about Eric and Diana. I've already met Eric and could quite happily spend the rest of my life avoiding him but I wonder what Diana is like."

"She is very kind and caring. When Father brought me to Avalon she adored me right away, the perfect older sister, she was the equivalent of sixteen human years at the time."

"How old were you?"

After a moments calculation he replied, "If I were human, ten perhaps, still very young. I know Titania wasn't happy with Father but she treated me like family even if she gave Oberon the cold shoulder, Eric was less pleased than even she was, he must have been, he was suddenly the younger son."

"What happened to your mother? If you don't mind me asking?"

"No I don't really mind, I was so young at the time I don't really remember, I was told she died suddenly."

"How is that possible if she was..."

"The fae don't age but we aren't invulnerable."

Maybe it was time for Sarah to ask the dreaded question, "Jareth what am I now? Humans don't have magic but I don't feel any different and I don't suddenly look like you or as ethereal as your folks so I'm not fae."

"I don't honestly know exactly what your receiving these powers has made you and forgive me if the thought of harming you to test your species is abhorrent to me." He tried to make it a joke but it went down like a lead balloon so he continued with. "You are still everything you were before."

Sarah stayed silent,

Jareth spent the next five minutes searching for the right change of topic. "So you became an actress?"

"Yes." she replied still feeling awkward. "I've managed to make a name for myself."

"And do you still enjoy it? I recall you were always at peace when acting in the park." Had she managed to find some happiness in his absence?

"It's hard to make-believe when you've seen the fantastic and lived to tell the tale, so to speak, the real world intrudes too much, but acting is close enough to magic to stave off despair. That's partly why I adopted Jay, he made it easier to be..." she trailed off unable to finish the sentence with, "away from you."

"You were waiting for me all that time in a world trying to stamp out magic." He sounded proud

"Well I wouldn't have had to wait so long if you'd felt like turning up."

"Forgive me Sarah but I nursed a grudge against you. The mere mention of your name in my presence was an offence. You were going to be my Queen, the consolation prize for failing my Labyrinth."

"What would have happened? I was so young Jareth I didn't know how the world worked back then, and you offered it on a platter." she said, half knowing what the response would be.

"Had you lost I would have done anything you asked. I would have sent Toby home to his parents, perhaps even you, had you wished to continue your education."

"Not likely, I hated High School." Sarah interrupted.

Jareth smiled briefly. "I won't lie, I would have married you at the first available opportunity, just so no one would ever be able to take you away from me." He paused, trying to think back to his plans and machinations. "Once you were my wife in name I would have sent you to Avalon, to learn from my parents until you were old enough to truly be my wife."

Sarah had to snort at that idea.

"Oh? Do you have some objection to that plan?"

"I remember the way you looked at me in the tunnels, in the ballroom, even in the Escher room and remember that you got me pregnant within a day of seeing me for the first time in nine years. Perhaps you would have dragged me in front of the first available priest to get a stain of legality on the whole thing but you would have thrown me over your shoulder and rushed me to somewhere private so you could ravish me ASAP. And being the hormone driven fifteen year old I was I probably would have let you."

Jareth was trying to keep a straight face and an even skin tone. No matter what benevolent scheme he had tried to justify his actions with he knew that Sarah's scenario was just as, if not more than, likely the path he would have chosen and now that she'd mentioned it the image were too pleasant to banish from his mind that hastily.

They carried on in silence for some time after that.

"I'm sorry for not approaching you correctly back then or six weeks ago. The one relationship that counts and I can't seem to get it right." He said.

"I get the feeling that the Fae are a spoilt race. Magic can get you anything you could ever want so you never have to truly work towards a goal." She started. "You aren't used to compromise and I'm never going to simply submit to you Jareth you have to accept that. I won't give in or give up or just fall at your feet."

"We can make this work Sarah," Jareth replied gently taking her hand in his own and pressing it desperately to his lips, "please say we can make this work. I may have once said I can't live within you, but now having had you so close to me I refuse to live without you."


	25. Chapter 25

I'm so very sorry for not updating in over a year. The last year hasn't been that great and I've struggled to do anything creative so this chapter has been on the back burner for far too long.

I hope you enjoy.

As always reviews are very welcome.

Chapter 25

Sarah looked into the Goblin kings face and saw nothing but sincerity. "Is this the point in the discussion where I ask all those little questions about what the future might hold for us?"

"They will have to be answered eventually." He would avoid it if he could but she needed to know.

"What will this baby be exactly? Human, Fae, something in-between or something new?" _Something wrong._ The words she couldn't say, the thought of her child being inhuman scared her.

"If you had no magic then if raised in the human realm the child would remain mortal and powerless, if raised in the underground then it would be indistinguishable from any fae."

"But I apparently I do have magic, so how will that affect the baby?"

"This situation hasn't occurred in a very long time if it occurred at all, I can only give you my best guess." His thumbs very gently caressed the delicate hands that he still cradled within his own.

"Which is?" Sarah prompted getting impatient.

"That our child might hold the best aspects of both races. Magic and resistance to iron, immortality and fertility. Traits that could be the salvation of my race."

"But you would want him raised in your world just in case." She broke her hands free of his.

"My father would certainly. I would do anything you ask to even play the smallest role in my child's life; I will not force you to raise him below. I probably don't even have the power to make you do anything against your will."

"And if I was hypothetically to return with you, what would I do? What would I be to the rest of society? Would I be accepted? The mortal lover of the Goblin King and mother of his heir?"

"If you were to return with me," He began to reply trying to keep the eagerness out of his voice, "I would make you my Queen if only you would allow it, my subjects adore you so do my parents, your place in society would be assured. I would be the envy of every man in the underground to have you on my arm, you are so precious."

"But I'm just boring, plain, old Sarah Williams. I don't even know what I did to attract your attention."

"You believed and you dreamed. You are the most beautiful woman I have ever met and you certainly are never boring." His hands itched to cradle her face to tip her head back, to cover her mouth with his own.

Sarah felt the conversation was straying into territory that was just too deep, too scary, so she tried to lighten the mood, "And yet you still felt the need to set the cleaners on me." She broke eye contact and moved to continue walking.

"Only after you called my Labyrinth a "piece of cake", you insulted my Kingdom." Jareth knew what she was doing but being so close to her was a pleasure that he did not want to lose.

"I had just been frisked by the helping hands. Hands went places that they shouldn't have gone." Sarah retaliated, her lips twitching slightly. "And anyway Hoggle says the Labyrinth forgave me years ago."

They were nearing the edge of the park and it was almost time for Jay's feed by the time Jareth had sort of response. "Well she's very unhappy with me at the moment. The overgrown pile of rocks wanted me to come and steal you away."

"And what was your response?" They had slowed to a standstill so Sarah looked up into Jareth's face, directly into his eyes, so he couldn't try to hide anything from her.

"That I would steal you away in a heartbeat but I will not make you stay against your will." He lifted one hand to cup her face.

She turned her head into the smooth surface of his glove, the scent of leather filling her head. "For my will is as strong as yours."

"Yes, as you've proved many times."

He moved to kiss her and she let him almost euphoric at the taste of his lips on hers. He moved his lips gently upon hers almost afraid that she would fade away or stop him. Sarah raised her arms to twine around his neck pulling him closer to her, her hands spearing into his hair.

It was Jareth who had to break the kiss when he heard Jay started to fuss in his stroller "I think the little one needs feeding, shall we go somewhere for a drink or back to your apartment." His arms were around his mortal, clutching her still, hesitant to let go.

"There's a coffee shop around the corner." Sarah suggested smoothing back the silky blonde strands of hair that she had ruffled, delaying the moment she would have to leave the safety of his embrace.

"Sounds perfect."

* * *

"Are you certain that we can't introduce our grandson at court?" Titania asked her husband as they sat waiting in Sarah's empty apartment to pick him up. They knew they were early but eager to see him again.

Oberon looked at his wife, "You know we can't."

"I just want to show him off. A royal child after so many years, the court will be glad to hear of it."

"There have been too few births I agree, but if Thalia finds out, she is too desperate for a child, she will take Jay away from Sarah and from us."

The High Queen looked appalled at that.

"You know she would. I know it seemed a good match for Eric at the time but…"

"He has too much of you in him…" She wished it could be otherwise.

"She has no love for any of us, not anymore. Thalia cannot find out her husband sired a child. Imagine what Sarah would do, what she could do if someone tried to take Jay from her."

"True."

* * *

They didn't discuss the kiss but sat close together on one of the Coffee houses many sofas. Jareth with his arms around Sarah as she held Jay in her arms feeding him patiently.

"He is a beautiful boy, Sarah."

"Yes he is. I still don't understand how Lily could have given him up." She looked at the small figure in her arms as he fed from his bottle.

"Not everyone is you, Precious; ready to take on the wrath of the gods to ensure the safety of your family."

"Since when did you become a God?" She twisted to face him better.

"I can see my ego will always suffer around you." The Goblin King had to laugh at that before sobering slightly. "Sarah, it's not only fifteen year old sisters who wish away children, and not many of my challengers deserved to have their relatives returned to them."

"True."

Sensing a change in atmosphere he asked a few minutes later when it was obvious that Jay had finished his feed, "When do my parents arrive to take charge of the little man?"

Checking the time she replied, "Very soon, we should get back."


	26. Chapter 26

I apologise for the wait and the short chapter. I hope to get another one out soon. Thanks for the continuing support.

Please check out the chapter for my new story "With the Right Leverage" when it appears. It was written to try and help me get back into this one but before I knew it I had about 10,000 words so I thought I should start publishing it too.

Reviews are welcome and very much appreciated.

cheers

Chapter 26

The hand-off to Oberon and Titania went smoothly and the doting grandparents disappeared to spend quality time with Jay.

"If I didn't know the damage you could do I would worry that you'd never see Jay again." Jareth commented when they were safely seated at dinner in a quiet restaurant a few blocks from Sarah's apartment.

Sarah looked uncomfortable at that thought.

"Don't worry, I meant that as a joke." He instantly tried to reassure her.

"It's not that. The idea that I have those types of powers... I'm human, maybe in my head I'll never really believe I can do those things."

"We don't know the extent of your power. You were given a great gift."

"As much as I love the Labyrinth, could I ever really belong in your world?"

"Do you really belong in this one any longer?"

"My family is here, the life I know, the Underground is filled with so much I don't know or understand and that frightens me."

"That doesn't sound like the Sarah who faced me and declared "My will is as strong as yours"." Jareth grabbed her hands, wishing that he could have taken off his gloves first, to touch skin-to-skin. "I promise you, Sarah, I will protect you, your children, your family. You will never have to use your powers unless you want to."

"I've trusted you would keep me safe for a very long time." She gave the hands that held her own a squeeze. "but if something happened to my son or this baby," She moved one hand to her stomach, "I don't know what I would do."

"Whatever you did I would be right there behind you." He looked deep into the green eyes of his love hoping to see the defiant gaze he fell for so many years before.

The discussion was interrupted by the appearance of the waiter. Somehow they arrived at the dessert course. Neither Sarah or Jareth could particularly remember what they had eaten. On the walk back to Sarahs' home Jareth revelled in the feeling of having his arm around her and in the new found harmony in their relationship.

* * *

Deep under the Avalon Palace Prince Eric stewed in his resentment and anger. His confinement was an insult to his position and unlawful, not that such things every mattered to Oberon. The guards were disrespectful the conditions disgraceful. A diet of bread and water meant he was always hungry. He was allowed one jug of ice cold water to wash himself with. His bedding had not been changed since the beginning of his incarceration. It was all his brothers' fault. Jareth had always been their Fathers' favourite, a bastard allowed to be raised within the Royal family and gifted with a throne that should have been his as the legitimate heir, and now to be locked up in a dungeon for trying to retrieve what was rightfully his.

It was just his luck that his son was under the protection of _the_ Sarah! That mortal whore had threatened him and caused his bodily harm, him a Royal fae, and received no punishment. Jareth would be in huge trouble when Eric was free. His first port of call would be the council. He would claim his son and then inform them that Jareth had gifted magic to a mortal woman. That was the one thought that sustained him.

"What have you done now!" The strident voice of his wife rang out beyond his cell door.

"Thalia?" He stood and rushed to the door to peer through the bars at the pale petulant face of the woman he had married.

"Well who else would it be?" The nasal whine continued. "No one likes you enough to bribe the guards the way I had to, personally I would be glad to leave you here to rot."

"Now is not the time to start up that old argument."

"Well if you could act like an adult maybe we would actually have respect in society!"

"I act like an adult!" Was his instant retort.

"I don't have time for this I'm leaving. I might actually thank your father for giving me this reprieve from your company."

His voice turned sly, "Not when you know why I'm down here."

* * *

The Labyrinth was at it again. The corridors were changing too fast, there were too many dead ends. All the inhabitants knew that something was wrong. The Goblins had taken to the throne room and weren't budging turning the Goblin city into a ghost town. The fire gang had retreated into their caves and hadn't caused trouble in days. She was trying to say something but most of the populous were too elemental to realize they had to inform anyone.

Hoggle knew something was up, he'd taken to haunting the mirror portal to try and catch Toby to try and make contact with Sarah. He needed to make sure she was safe, the babe too. He had a bad feeling.

* * *

After their pleasant walk back Jareth escorted Sarah to her door.

"I believe this is where I must leave you. The first date etiquette suggests that I kiss you and ask if I can see you again."

"Every thing about us is backward isn't it?" Sarah asked with a smile on her face. A smile that Jareth couldn't resist tasting. He pulled her into his arms and buried his fingers in her hair, fitting his lips to hers. Enjoying the softness of her body against his own. His tongue moved along the seam of her lips entreating entry.

Sarah had no defence against the onslaught, the lean, muscled strength of his body. The taste of him pure magic, addictive. She found herself pressed against her front door with no memory of moving.

It was Jareth who broke the kiss first his chest heaving as he dragged air into lungs starved of oxygen. The feel of Sarahs' breast against him as she too tried to recover bringing certain uncomfortable sensations from lower down to his attention. Their eyes met and held, pupils dilated with arousal. Sarah reached up and cupped her bare hand to his cheek, the skin smoother than silk as he nuzzled like a cat into her palm.

"Would you like to come in for Coffee?" Sarah didn't want to lose the moment.

Jareth took a deep breath, "You know it wouldn't just be coffee." He took another breath and created a small space between them. "My parents will be bringing Jay back soon and I have no intention of being caught making out like a teenager." He smoothed down the hair his fingers had tangled in.

"Well back to first date etiquette then you've kissed me goodnight now you need to ask to see me again." She couldn't resist running the back of her fingers down his cheek one last time.

The sensation was nearly his undoing but he managed to find his voice again. "Can I see you again?"

"I'm going to my Parents house for lunch tomorrow. Come with me?" She was still staring into his eyes.

"Are you sure?"

"What's said is said. I wouldn't have asked if I didn't mean it."

"Then yes, I would be delighted."


	27. Chapter 27

I really pleased with myself two updates with in a week for Power Over Me and A new story published if you have't already please check it out. "With the Right Leverage" should also be updated soon. I'm determined to finish both storys before summer.

As always please, Please, PLEASE leave me a review. Did you like it? Hate it?

Cheers.

Chapter 27

Jareth somehow found the strength to take a further step back from Sarah. He longed to taste her lips again but he couldn't trust himself not to take it further. Instead he brought her hand back to his face and rubbed his jaw against it one last time before placing a kiss in the centre of her palm before grudgingly taking one further step back.

"Till tomorrow then?"

"Yes, we'll need to leave rather early."

"I'll be here at eight."

He watched as she entered her home before turning and walking away.

* * *

After she closed her apartment door Sarah couldn't resist looking through her spyhole at the retreating form of her King. With every step his form dissipated a little more until all that was left was a faint shimmer of glitter until that too vanished.

A royal throat clearing behind her caused her to jump. She spun to face Titania with her cheeks filling with heat at being caught.

"I hope that Jay was as well behaved as usual?" She asked hurriedly trying to change the subject and ignoring the wicked gleam in the Fae Queen's eyes.

"He was a perfect angel. As I hope the next one will be, though with Jareth being the father that might be too much to hope for."

Sarah smiled at the thought but the remembrance of how the pregnancy came about soured her good mood slightly.

"He's in his crib, asleep." Titania continued as she moved back towards the sitting room, "My husband however is asleep on your sofa. I think the little one wore him out."

Sarah peered over Titania's shoulder to look and the sleeping High King. The sight made her giggle slightly. There were finger furrows in his short hair and baby food on his clothes.

"I'm guessing the High King isn't very practised at stopping little boy's from playing with their food."

"I'm afraid to say that that may be my fault. I was angry at him for...well..." She broke off before starting again. "And he didn't like arguing in front of the children, so he left their care very much up to me and buried himself in work. I had the support of various nannies and governesses but he missed out on rather too much because of my anger."

"What will happen about Jay?"

"He is your son, Oberon and I agree on that point. Jareth will be able to formally adopt him if you marry and we will protect him if you don't." Titania refrained from mentioning the possible consequences if the High Council found out, "He won't inherit the Goblin throne as he isn't the Goblin King's natural child, but he will have titles and status, as much as any of the wished away have."

"If I hadn't had the power to stop him Eric could have legally taken him couldn't he?"

"If his father had known what that boy was going to do there would have been hell to pay." Titania tried to avoid Sarah's eye.

"That's not answering the question."

"How was your evening with my step-son?"

Sarah allowed the High Queen her conversational segue, "It went very well. I'm taking him to Sunday dinner at home tomorrow."

"Does your father own a shot gun? Only the Fae don't really react that well to lead shot or bullets for that matter."

"Daddy doesn't own a gun at all, I'm gonna give Karen a call and warn her to have Daddy on his best behaviour. Toby might be more of a problem, I'll have to collar him ASAP tomorrow about not outing Jareth as the Goblin King"

"In that case we shall be on our way." She roused her husband softly and they transported back to Avalon.

The peace of her apartment seemed strange after all the comings and goings of the last few days. She check on Jay and then phoned her Step-Mother. It was short conversation though Karen seemed happy for Sarah to bring a guest and that Robert would be on his best behaviour, Toby too.

* * *

Somehow they'd managed to battle through to the middle of dinner. Toby unfortunately had yet to get over his awe of the Goblin King so the conversational fillers he usually supplied were absent. Her father, Robert, was still glaring at Jareth. That introduction had not gone well. Sarah was glad that her dad didn't own a gun. He'd taken Jareth into his office before dinner and they hadn't reappeared until Karen had called them to the table so Sarah hadn't had a chance to ask Jareth what had been said.

Outwardly the Goblin King was acting as normal even in his human disguise, if he had looked more eager to please maybe her dad wouldn't still be glaring, but Jareth was Jareth. In company he could never let down his guard. Karen was trying her best to fill the gaps but the tension in the room was palpable.

OK so it wasn't going as well as she had originally hoped but no one had ended up in the Bog of Eternal Stench yet so it could always be worse. The small groups of Goblins that Sarah could hear faintly from the corners of the room were slightly more worrying. Were they here because of the King? Her parents obviously couldn't hear them but she'd never heard so many gathered together in her house.

Sarah actually felt slightly relieved when Oberon and Titania, in full Royal Fae Splendour and Regalia appeared in the dining room of her childhood home adding the paranormal to the surreal elements of the afternoon.

Jareth was the first to react. Standing to attention in the presence of his parents. Sarah rose to her feet soon after, knowing that if the High King and Queen had appeared before mortals something terrible must have happened. Robert and Karen sat in stunned silence. Toby already knowing "Tania's" true identity and appearance was less stunned but he kept his mouth shut. Cutlery scraped against china as knives and forks were dropped.

"What has happened?" The Goblin King asked all traces of his mortal disguise melting away.

Oberon was the one to answer. "Thalia bribed her way into the dungeons and has seen Eric. She found out about Jay and petitioned the High Council not more than an hour ago. They are coming to take the child."

"Like hell they are!" Sarah promised.

Her father finally found his voice. "Sarah, what on earth is going on here?"

"May I introduce their Majesties, Oberon and Titania, High King and Queen of Avalon and the Underground Realms, and you have already met Oberon's son, Jareth, King of the Goblins and Ruler of the Labyrinth. Dad I know Nana Joyce taught you enough of the old legends to work everything out from there."

"Sarah?" Karen didn't seem to be taking the sudden apparition of Fae royalty quite so well as her husband and son.

"Do you remember that little red leather book I always used to carry with me and read from?"

"The Labyrinth?"

"Did you ever read it?" Sarah knew she didn't really have time for this but her family deserved explanations.

"But it's just a fairy story." Karen protested. It took her a few minutes for her brain to process this new information. "You wished my son away to the goblins!"

"I told you Jareth engineered a meeting. Anyway I got him back. It doesn't matter right this minute."

It was Robert who butted in again breaking the moment between his daughter and wife. "What has this got to do with my grandson?"

"He also happens to be our Grandchild." Titania informed him. "We recently discovered that our son, Eric, had sired a child on a mortal on mortal girl. We only found this out when he tried to take him because his adopted mother was not a friendless underground as he obviously assumed. We tried to keep him silent on this fact by keeping him sequestered away from his wife, Thalia."

"They will be here soon." Oberon, who had been conversing with Jareth, broke in. "Where is the child?"

"In his playpen in the next room." Karen seemed to have recovered some of her equilibrium.

"No he isn't." Sarah realized she couldn't feel her son nearby, a sense that her magic must have gifted to her without her being conscious of before, the worry that had filled he during dinner had been due to Jay's absence.

Jareth darted into the lounge but his face when he came back into the room confirmed her instinctive knowledge. "They've already taken him." He moved closer to Sarah but knew that she would not take comfort from him.

"And I'll make sure they regret it." She replied with venom.


	28. Chapter 28

Thank you for your reviews, they encourage me to write more. I would especially like feeback on this chapter, action isn't really my thing so tell me if you think I need to but more detail in or if it doesn't flow right.

I hope you enjoy this chapter I think the end might be in sight.

Please, please leave a review.

cheers

Chapter 28

Jareth recognised the look that had appeared on Sarah's face and the light that had come into her eyes. He could only hope that storm clouds had appeared somewhere other than the Labyrinth this time as her anger was not directed at him. He retreated back to a space beside the High King.

"Father, if Sarah destroys the High Council I can still marry her right?" He asked quietly.

"Thankfully she doesn't have the power for that." The High King responded.

"Did you not see my kingdom after her run? She did that with the help of a dwarf, a rock caller, a senile old fox and his cowardly steed. Now she has magic, more magic than I've have seen in a long time, the personal loyalty of most of my subjects and the Labyrinth itself will do anything to get Sarah back, I don't know what her limits are now."

"This is why Titania kept telling me not to interfere between you isn't it?"

"Correct. I recognise that face, she completed the Labyrinth with that face."

* * *

It had taken a few minutes for Sarah to push her anger down enough to be able to think properly. "Dad can you take Karen and Toby into the next room? I promise I'll explain everything later."

Robert didn't look happy but he did as she asked.

When they'd gone she continued, "Would they take the baby straight to Thalia or hold it themselves before a final ruling?"

"He will have been taken to the council chambers on Avalon to verify Thalia's claim." Jareth replied

"Then take me there." She demanded.

"It is not possible. Humans are still forbidden to enter Avalon." Titania rebutted.

"Then take me as far as you can, and then I'll do it on my own."

"Sarah this isn't an army of inept goblins you'll be facing. It's the High Council of the Fae, they have magic and body guards." Jareth was afraid for her safety, the safety of their child.

Sarah addressed him directly, "It's obvious that your parents can't help me in this or they would already have returned my son." She fixed the royal couple with a hard emerald gaze.

Oberon sighed heavily his face displaying more of his great age than Sarah had ever seen. "My hands are tied by the laws I set down a millennia ago. My subjects wished for a greater say in the governance of the Kingdom, so I allowed them to form a Council to deliberate on matters of inheritance and judging disputes among the nobility. Things that I would have once had to rule on myself."

"Why does that mean they can take my son?" Her was hard.

"Because humans have no status in our world and human laws do not apply. They have ruled that as the son of a High Prince, Jay, should be raised below as it is clear his birth mother gave him up. He should be raised by his fathers family."

"Then I will change their minds. Human or not they are going to give me back my son."

"Jareth knew there was nothing he could say to change her mind but he had to try just one more time. "Sarah, this isn't just about Jay. You risk not only yourself by doing this but our child too." He approached Sarah and placed his hands on her face, tilting her head so he could look into her eyes.

"Jareth, you know I can't just sit back and do nothing."

"Yes, I know."

"And I know that once the council rules you are bound by their decision." She pulled back and Jareth's hands dropped.

"We can find another away."

"There is no other way. I want my son back."

"Then I will take you to the Gates of Avalon you will have to make the journey alone from there." He created a crystal between his fingertips and held it out to her. "Take it, it will show you the way. Promise me you will take care."

She stroked one palm down his cheek. He tugged the glove off one hand so he could cover hers with his own, savouring the feel of her skin. "I promise. I'm guessing we don't have much time before the council is in session again?" She addressed the question to the High King and Queen.

"Not more than an hour." Oberon answered.

"Then let's get this show on the road."

* * *

Jareth transported her to the gates as promised. Sarah was finding a few too many parallels to her time in the Labyrinth though Avalon looked a great deal less desolate. It was a paradise, rolling fields and forests. The city walls were a shining white.

"Once through the gates the wards in Avalon will be tripped and the guards will try to stop you. They can't use magic to transport within the city walls but they can use it on you. My parents and I will be waiting for you inside. You are the most precious thing in the world to me and I want to spend my life with you." It was the most honest thing he had ever said to her. "Just fear me, love me, do as I say, and I will be your slave." He repeated the words from so long ago hoping for a different outcome.

"I love you, is that enough?" She stared deep into his eyes.

He smiled so radiantly it almost hurt to see. "It's more than I could have ever wished for." He held out another orb, it dissolved into glitter and in it's place hung a pendant on a long silver chain. He placed it carefully around her neck and lifted her hair back into place.

The pendant matched his own. Sarah was stunned and slightly confused. "Is this what I think it is?"

"A statement of intent and the protection of the Labyrinth." He gathered her into his arms and pressed his lips hard against hers before quickly releasing her. "Time is short. Go." He faded from sight.

Sarah took a deep breath and turned towards the shining city gates. She looked down at her clothing, a tea dress and heels while suitable for Sunday dinner with the family but weren't going to cut it for a run through Fae territory. She closed her eyes and concentrated, if she couldn't do this small piece of magic getting to the council was going to be harder than she thought.

Somehow it worked, the dress had turned into close fitting black leather trousers and vest, the heels into a pair of knee high flat boots.

She used her magic to shield herself, like she had before, and walked though the gates.

* * *

The guards at the gate had been easy to overcome and those that had come at her in small groups left disorientated and disabled by her magic. Luckily the other fae in the streets seemed to ignore her presence and stay out of her way. The Palace was only a few streets away now, she could feel it. The council chambers were inside.

As she paused for breath on a busy street, she could feel the magic flowing through her now, always ready at her fingertips. She could feel more eyes on her now and felt out of place amongst the beautiful, fantastical creatures all around her. New instincts warned her not to stay in one place for too long, the guards would find her soon she had no doubt about it.

As she approached the Palace gates, even more imposing than the city walls, she realised why she hadn't encountered too many guards on her trip through the city they were at least a hundred blocking the way. She stopped a short distance in front of them.

A spokesman for the guard moved out from their ranks, "Turn back and leave this city or you will be taken into custody and detained!"

"I am here to see the High Council!" Sarah raised her voice to address the assembled men. "Move out of my way or be prepared for the consequences." She gathered her magic, and felt the clouds rumbling above her, marring the perfect blue skies.

"Your kind don't belong here! What do you possibly think you can do against us." The man sneered at her and drew his weapon obviously not having heard the reports from the men she'd met on her way.

"I'll do what I have to!"

The man tried to use magic to repel her but it rebounded harmlessly off her shield. "That's not possible!"

"So be it." Her voice carried across the courtyard.

The first lightning strike hit the ground inches from the man's feet, the shockwave knocked him flat on his ass. The next hit in the middle of the guards sending them diving for cover and Sarah took advantage of that running through the gaps and the gate behind them, using her powers to erect a barrier to stop them following her.


	29. Chapter 29

Apologies again for not posting in like forever hopefully you like how the story is going. It's actually getting near that end and thats slightly weird. I started writing this in my first year at uni and now, over 3 years later, I have 3 weeks to go and still isn't quite finished. Thanks go out to all my loyal readers and reviewers who've stayed with me.

Please take the time to leave a review.

Cheers

Chapter 29

The High Council occupied a vast and ornate hall within the palace structure. The five members were amongst the oldest and most politically powerful of the ruling fae class. They would sit in five large gilded chairs upon a dais at one end of the room. Thalia and her retinue were gathered on the floor before them.

There was no sign of Sarah yet and that had the Goblin King worried. The Royal family had a private balcony where they could oversee events but the separation and wait was killing him. Oberon hadn't appeared either but as he was the only one able to use magic to transport into the councils chamber that wasn't a problem.

When the High Councillor, the Speaker, entered the room a deathly silence fell. He was one of the most revered of the elders and he cultivated an image to match his advanced age. Long robes and beard gave the impression of wisdom, hopefully he held actual wisdom and sense too.

Despite the hush in the room order was called for. A bell tolled as he took his seat, signalling the beginning of the session.

Jareth knew that as a fae he was immune from stress induced heart attacks but if Sarah didn't appear soon he felt as if his heart would explode from its pounding.

Titania laid a hand on her step sons shoulder in reassurance. "Don't worry, she'll make it, safe and sound."

* * *

Sarah could feel time running out on her like grains of sand filtering through her fingers. The Palace was a huge complex of interconnected buildings and the way to the council chambers was heavily guarded but obviously the word of her powers hadn't spread and while time consuming, they were unchallenging to take out.

The crystal in her hand was starting to pulse madly hopefully signalling the end of her journey. Large, heavy, intricately carved wooden doors stood in front of her.

As did over a dozen guards.

* * *

"Who claims this child?" The Speaker's voice, still strong, rang out from the dais.

As Thalia stepped forward the chambers large doors slammed open and a dozen guards flew across the room followed at a more stately walk by a woman who visibly shimmered with magic.

"I do! Give me the child." A wave of gasps had spilled through the room at Sarah's entrance and her voice cut across them.

"Through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered, I have fought my way here to the castle beyond this Shining City to take back the child that you have stolen, for my will is as strong as yours, and my kingdom is as great..."

Jareth was glad that that speech wasn't being aimed at him this time and slightly turned on by the power his love was channelling through her. The skin tight leather helped too.

"You have no place in this human." The Speaker intoned calmly.

"You took my son without permission. Ask the Goblin King what I did to get my brother back. I suggest you give him to me now and avoid any unpleasantness."

"Goblin King," He addressed the Royal Balcony. "Who is this woman?"

* * *

Sarah could feel the magic flowing through her she was glad to have made it at the right moment. Her crystal guide had dissolved when she crossed the threshold. Trying to keep her temper in check was becoming difficult though, despite the show she was putting on, she knew she was beginning to weaken. Though Jareth did provide a little distraction from her problems, appearing from the balcony in a shower of glitter.

"May I introduce the Champion of the Labyrinth, my wife to be, well whenever she finally agrees. The mother of my heir, Sarah Williams." He took her hand and held it against his lips briefly.

"Goblin King! It is forbidden to gift magic to humans!" The Speaker raised his voice in anger for the first time and it was directed at Jareth.

"I'm still here you know." Sarah pointed out to the two males who were now ignoring her. "And my powers and how I came by them have nothing to do with this, We are here to discuss you returning my son to me."

Thalia choose her moment to step forward and confront Sarah on the matter. "He isn't your son. He is my husbands child and unwanted by the birth mother."

"Yes let's talk about your husband." Sarah retorted, "He travelled above and broke laws that are in place to protect our children. My cousin Lily was under-age when he tricked her into bed. He then abandoned her to face pregnancy alone."

"The laws of the above are not relevant here, champion." The old fae had finally regained his calm.

"What about the rules of your own world? Are they valid?" Sarah goaded.

"What a pointless question. This council exists to rule within our laws."

"I want my son back." She was adamant

"The High Council has gathered to decide the child's fate. A claim has been made by the wife of the boy's father."`

"I was chosen by his birth mother, Lily, to raise him."

"And his father is to have no say in the matter?" The slight raising at one side of the old man's lips gave Sarah the impression that he thought he'd won a point.

"He lost that right by knowingly abandoning Lily to face pregnancy alone."

Jareth squeezed the hand he still held, to gain her attention, "It doesn't work that way here, Sarah." He looked pained at the admission.

She turned to give him her full attention and looked into his eyes, "Explain to me how Eric would have been allowed to claim my baby from above."

"The fae are always allowed to take abandoned children. We can always feel those who have been wished away, to give a child away gives them the same feel." Jareth answered.

"And the same rules apply to any wished away child? Whether they are verbally wished away and taken or not?"

Another council member spoke in answer. "Correct, therefore Lady Thalia's claim is valid. The child was wished away, so we could take him."

Sarah smiled inwardly, "Jareth dear, tell the nice man what I had just done again the night our baby was conceived."

The glint in his eyes told her he had cottoned on to her plan. "I felt the wish on the boy and took him." He turned back to face the council. "Sarah ran the Labyrinth for him, and won."

Sarah let the smile on her face grow, "Therefore, I believe, under your own laws you had no right to take him from me again."

"But he isn't really your son." Talia's whining voice was really starting to grate against Sarah's ears

"Neither was Toby but I ran for him."

The look on the old man's face was priceless, Sarah hadn't known a being that old could still pout like a five year old. A different councillor had to answer. "Lady Thalia, the Human is correct, she won the right to take the boy home. He will be released back into your custody."

"But he should be mine. The human whore has got one of her own on the way already, why should she have mine?" Thalia's strident voice broke out again.

* * *

Jareth almost felt sorry for Thalia, almost. He could feel Sarah gathering the power to retaliate. He pulled her slightly closer and advised, "I wouldn't use magic against others in here, precious, the wards will make it turn back on you."

"I was just going to improve her voice a little bit. No one would notice if she squealed like a pig instead of talking." She replied.

"No they wouldn't, would they." He took Sarah into his arms so he could taste her smile. Before he could the Speaker called for order again.

"Jareth, King of the Goblins, for gifting magic to a human you must be punished, and the mortal stripped of her powers." The old man did not like being thwarted especially not by a human.

He put Sarah away from him, "One moment precious," Jareth turned back towards the dais, "I think you'll find it wasn't me that gave her power."

"Guards seize the Goblin King!" The Speaker's voice rang out through the room.


End file.
